Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Another way to help Sickle Cell Patients "Donate Platelets"



What Is a Platelet Donation?

During a platelet donation, a small portion of your blood (less than one pint at a time), is drawn from your arm and passed through a sophisticated cell-separating machine. The machine collects the platelets and safely returns the remaining blood components, along with some saline, back to you. After the donation you can resume your normal activities, avoiding heavy lifting or strenuous exercise that day.

Should You Be a Platelet Donor?


A single platelet donation can provide enough platelets for a full therapeutic dose for a patient in need. In fact, some platelet donations yield enough platelets for two or three therapeutic doses. By contrast, it takes about five whole blood donations to produce a single therapeutic dose. Many patients who need platelets are undergoing chemotherapy or organ transplant and have weakened immune systems. A platelet dose from a single donor reduces the patient’s exposure to multiple donors and is therefore preferred by many physicians. Check out this video.


Key Facts


  • Donors should not take any aspirin or products containing aspirin 48 hours before donation

  • You can donate up to 24 times per year.

  • The donation takes approximately 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours.

  • Call 1-800-RED-CROSS for platelet donation opportunities near you.

  • Donors have the option to watch a movie, listen to music or simply relax during the donation process.

  • A platelet donation is also called a ‘platelet apheresis’ or ‘platelet pheresis’ donation.

  • If you are a platelet donor, you can still make regular whole blood donations. Both gifts are vitally important to patients with life threatening diseases.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Ideas for Sickle Cell Rochester 2010

Planet a Fruit Tree or have Fruit and vegetable project. Go apple
picking or some kind of fruit picking experience for the kids. (Tracy)
Have a walk to raise money for Back to School supplies 4 kids (Tiffany)
See Breeze trip for 20 kids at a cost of $20 per kid w/ picnic for
total cost of $400 (Ronald)
Do awareness w/ school by expert or parent. The who is a TBD (Tiffany).
Parent Education and Advocacy Event (Ronald and Tiffany)
Trip to the Science Museum, Strong Museum of Play, Rochester, Buffalo,
Syracuse Zoo or Cultural event (Ronald)
Social Group for Parents = day or evening off from the kids Sickle
Cell “SC CafĂ©” (Tiffany)
Social Group for older Kids = day or evening away from the parents (Tiffany)
Have 1 to 2 parents attended the national event for 2010 (Ronald)

Support campaign to reissue the SC postage stamp for the 160th
anniversary on the Discovery of Sickle Cell Disease (Ronald)

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Transitional care for young adults moving into the adult health care system


Tiffany Pulcino, M.D.
Dr. Pulcino was born and raised in Rochester. She attended Mount Sinai Medical School where she completed both her medical degree and master's degree in public health with honors in research. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Rochester in 2008.
Dr. Pulcino is an Instructor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Rochester. She is board eligible in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. She is a member of the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Dr. Pulcino's special interest is transitional care: the process of young adults moving into the adult health care system, especially those with medical problems diagnosed in childhood, such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, inflammatory bowel disease, and congenital heart disease.
"My goal is to form a trusting partnership with my patients and their families. Together, we can formulate health goals based on their individual needs and the most recent medical evidence." When not working, Dr. Pulcino enjoys spending time with her husband and son, kayaking, and hiking.
Contact
Culver Medical Group
913 Culver Road
Rochester, NY 14609
Administrative: 585 654-5432
Fax: 585 288-7871