Blood platelet transfusions can save the lives of people with low platelet counts or malfunctioning platelets, says the American Red Cross.

What Are Platelets?

Platelets are tiny cells that flow through your blood. Their main job is to prevent and stop bleeding. When a blood vessel is damaged, platelets rush to the site and clump together to form a clot and help stop the bleeding.

When your platelets are low, your body may have trouble stopping bleeding. Our bodies usually renew our platelet supplies around the clock, but sometimes they run into a snag. A condition that leads to a low platelet count is called thrombocytopenia. It can occur due to many conditions or situations, including:

• Some types of anemia
• Viral infections
• Leukemia
• Cancer
• Heavy alcohol use
• Chemotherapy drugs
• Radiation treatments

Other conditions — like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis or a severe bacterial infection affecting the blood – can cause the body to destroy platelets faster than they can be made.

Why Are Platelet Donations So Important?

Platelets are very fragile and short-lived. They need to be transfused within seven days of donation. This means they’re always in high demand at hospitals and other health care settings.

While platelets can be taken from a whole blood donation, it takes six to 10 blood donations to equal the number of platelets collected from a single platelet donation, according to the New York Blood Center.

Donating platelets takes about two hours, but one donation can help several patients. Our bodies regenerate platelets quickly after donating, so they can be donated safely every seven days, up to 24 times a year. And remember, if you’re donating platelets, don’t take aspirin for two days before your appointment.

Sources: The Function of Platelets: 5 Things You Might Not Know,  American Red Cross, 2021; Why are Platelets Important,  New York Blood Center