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Arun V J: Do You Know What SDP or Apheresis Platelet Is?
Arun V J/LinkedIn
Nov 12, 2025, 05:10

Arun V J: Do You Know What SDP or Apheresis Platelet Is?

Arun V J, The Leader of Transfusion Medicine at Malabar Medical College, shared on LinkedIn:

”Do You Know What SDP or Apheresis Platelet Is?

Most doctors, donors, and even healthcare workers don’t truly understand what an SDP is — or how it’s different from an RDP.

Because when we misunderstand science, patients pay the price.

First, what are we talking about?

RDP (Random Donor Platelet):
Platelets separated from whole blood donations.
A single unit gives a small platelet yield.
So, for one patient, you usually pool platelets from 4–6 different donors to reach the required dose.

SDP (Single Donor Platelet):
Collected through apheresis, where a machine selectively removes platelets and returns the rest of your blood.
One SDP = 4–6 RDPs in platelet count — but from one donor only.

Why this matters

  • When a patient receives RDPs, they’re exposed to multiple immune systems.
  • Each donor’s platelets have different antigens.
  • This increases risks like immune reactions and platelet refractoriness (when the patient stops responding to transfusions).
  • SDP minimizes this risk.

That’s why it’s preferred for cancer patients, bone marrow transplants, and those needing repeated transfusions — not for “faster rise.”

Why SDP Costs More

  1. It’s not “premium blood.”
  2. The cost includes sterile single-use kits, apheresis machine use, longer donation time, and trained personnel.
  3. But it gives safer platelets, traceable donors, and fewer complications.

Common Myths (Let’s Bust Them)

Myth 1: “SDP gives faster platelet count rise.”
False. Rise depends on the patient’s body, not platelet type.

Myth 2: “SDP is only for rich people.”
False. Many hospitals subsidize or cover it under insurance.

Myth 3: “SDP donation is painful.”
False. It’s smooth, safe, and you get your red cells back.

The Bigger Picture

  • In developed countries, apheresis platelets are the standard.
  • In India and similar regions, we’re still transitioning — mainly because of awareness gaps & cost of technology.
  • If every doctor and donor understood the difference, we’d save time, cost, and lives.

The Third Thinker Takeaway

  • Blood donation isn’t just kindness.
  • It’s applied science.
  • Every time you donate — or prescribe — you shape someone’s tomorrow.

Because better understanding leads to better care.

Read the detailed version here.

If you learned something new, drop a or share it — more awareness means fewer misconceptions, and more lives saved.”

Arun V J: Do You Know What SDP or Apheresis Platelet Is?

Stay updated with Hemostasis Today.

apheresis Blood donation Health Hematology Hemostasis Hemostasis Today Medicine platelets Random Donor Platelet RDP SDP Transfusion Medicine
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