Plateletphereses is a medical term that refers to the process of removing platelets from the blood for therapeutic purposes. The spelling of this word can be explained using IPA phonetic transcription as: /pleɪtlətfɪˈriːzɛz/. The first syllable "playt" represents the word "plate", while the second syllable "lət" is pronounced like "let". The ending "-phereses" has four syllables and is pronounced as "fi-REE-zes". This complex spelling is a common feature in medical jargon, designed for precision and accuracy in communication.
Plateletpheresis is a medical procedure that involves the selective removal of platelets from a person's blood. The term is derived from "platelets," which are small fragments of cells involved in blood clotting, and "pheresis," which refers to the process of removing specific components from blood.
During plateletpheresis, blood is withdrawn from a donor or patient and passed through a machine called apheresis or a cell separator. This device separates the blood into its various components, including red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, and platelets. Plateletpheresis specifically focuses on isolating and collecting platelets for therapeutic purposes.
This procedure enables healthcare professionals to obtain a greater quantity of platelets from a single donation, making it a valuable technique in medical settings where platelets are in high demand. Plateletpheresis allows for the collection of a more concentrated and purified platelet product, which can then be used for transfusions to treat patients with low platelet counts due to various medical conditions or after surgeries.
By selectively extracting platelets from the donor's or patient's blood, plateletpheresis reduces the need for multiple whole blood donations or the use of alternative methods to obtain platelets, such as pooling platelet units. This makes plateletpheresis a convenient and efficient process for both donors and recipients, ultimately enhancing patient care and management.
The word "Plateletpheresis" is derived from two Greek roots: "platelet" and "pheresis".
1. "Platelet" is derived from the Greek word "plateia", which means "a small dish" or "flat piece". It further comes from the Greek word "platus", meaning "flat" or "broad". In medical terminology, platelets refer to small, disk-shaped cells in the blood that help with blood clotting.
2. "Pheresis" comes from the Greek word "pheresis", meaning "a taking away" or "a removal". It is derived from the verb "pherein", which means "to carry" or "to bear". Pheresis is a medical procedure that involves the separation and removal of a specific component from the blood.