Service members' platelets form clot between life, death

Photo By Sgt. Derek Kuhn | Sgt. Mark Poczobut, a laboratory non-commissioned officer for the 440th Blood Support Detachment and a Poultney, Vt. native, relaxes as he donates blood platelets. Blood platelets donated in Bagram Air Field provide much of Afghanistan with the highly perishabled blood component.  

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AFGHANISTAN

03.18.2009

Story by Spc. Derek Kuhn 

40th Public Affairs Detachment

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - Service members at Bagram Air Field may not be on the front lines, but their life-saving actions still make them heroes.

With the assistance of the 440th Blood Support Detachment at the Craig Joint Theater Hospital, service members are providing life to trauma patients by donating the most perishable of blood's three main components - blood platelets.

Blood platelets have a maximum shelf-life of a week, so unlike whole blood, all sources must be obtained within the immediate area.

"We have at least one person a day donating platelets to maintain our inventory," said Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Karen Oliveira, a lab technician for the 440th BSD and a Dallas native. "But we get more patients in the summer, so we need more donors in the summer."

When extra donors are needed, the 440th BSD turns to a list of willing donors. The potential donors are contacted via email or telephone and arrangements for the donation are made.

All willing donors must pass a prescreening process at least two weeks before they are able to donate. The prescreening involves obtaining vital signs, answering a questionnaire and drawing blood to see if one is qualified to donate. If no discrepancies are found, the service members are put on the donor roster.

Before potential donors are allowed to donate, they are screened once again to ensure only the highest quality blood platelets are used. The use of only the best samples adds to the importance of having more donors.

"There is always a need of having people come in and donate," said Oliveira. "We have to draw and culture them [the blood platelets] to ensure that there aren't any contaminations. We try to give the safest and purest sample to patients needing it."

Many service members pull double duty at the military hospital and regularly donate blood platelets. One such Soldier is Sgt. Mark Poczobut, a laboratory non-commissioned officer for the 440th BSD and a Poultney, Vt., native. He said donating blood platelets fills him with a sense of pride.

"It makes me feel good," said Poczobut. "Even though we are not out on the front lines it makes me feel like I am helping out those Soldiers who are out on the front lines."

Poczobut described the actual donating process as being relaxed and uneventful.

"The needle feels like a bee sting when it is going into your arm," said Poczobut. "After a minute or two, you completely forget that the needle is inside your arm. It [the needle] is even covered up by gauze so you don't even see it. You sit in a chair for a few hours and you do what they tell you."

What the 440th BSD suggests during the two hour process is to relax through a variety of entertaining endeavors, including listening to music or reading a book. They also show movies for the donor's viewing pleasure.

"We have a large collection of movies that service members have donated," said Oliveira.

Entertainment aside, many consider the experience of donating and assisting the donors gratifying.

"It is a rewarding experience in itself," said Oliveira. "You are behind the scenes but you are contributing to what's going on in theater. Trauma patients come in from other areas of theater and we provide platelets for them."

• Date Taken: 03.18.2009
• Date Posted: 03.18.2009 07:46
• Story ID: 31282
• Location: BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF