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Sign In |
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To reduce your waiting time, please schedule an appointment by calling your local BioLife center, or click here to schedule on-line. At the reception desk, we welcome you and ask you to sign in. As a new donor, be sure to call your local center to find out what documentation you will need to present upon arriving for your first donation. Typically, new donors are asked to present two forms of identification, preferably a government issued picture identification, proof of residence (such as a phone or electric bill), and a social security card.
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| 2) |
Pre-donation Screening |
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Each donor, regardless of how long he or she has been donating, must pass a pre-donation screening at every appointment. During a screening you will be weighed and a technician will take your blood pressure, pulse and temperature. He or she will also take a little blood from your finger to measure your total protein and hematocrit. Hematocrit is the percentage of blood volume occupied by red blood cells. These measurements will tell us if it is safe for you to donate that day.
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| 3) |
Medical History |
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After we check your vital signs, we ask that you complete an electronic questionnaire regarding your health and medical history. This ensures that the donation is safe for you and for the patient who receives treatment made from your plasma.
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| 4) |
Physical Examination |
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As a first-time donor, and annually, you will receive a brief physical examination. This is administered by our on-site medical staff and used to make sure you are eligible to donate, based on your health and medical history.
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| 5) |
The Plasmapheresis Process |
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After we prepare the automated plasma collection device with a new and sterile kit, we connect you to the machine and start the plasma collection process. The tubing and all other pieces of the collection device that come in contact with your blood are discarded and replaced with new, sterile materials each time a donation is performed. Your blood never enters the machine.
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| 6) |
Compensation |
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After your donation, you will be compensated. The whole process for return donors takes on average one and a half hours. New donors may take up to two hours as your first visit includes a physical exam.
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| 7) |
Set Up Your Next Appointment |
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Existing donors are able to schedule their appointment on-line at mytime.biolifeplasma.com or at the center. New donors can call to schedule their initial appointment. You can donate as often as twice in a seven-day period, with at least one calendar day in between donations. To find a center near you click here. |