Who invented plasma blood

Research in the US and Europe had shown that with anticoagulants and preservatives, blood could be stored for use. Until then transfusions of blood were given directly from donor to recipient. The first decades of the s had revealed a variety of blood types and groups, and that there needed to be a match between donor and recipient to avoid a deadly reaction. A problem with banked whole blood was that it had to be constantly refrigerated, and so was very difficult to transport.

In addition, whole blood must be given intravenously, while plasma can be given intramuscularly or intravenously, and in large doses. While not the first to develop blood plasma for the treatment for shock, Charles Drew had completed his dissertation for a doctorate in Medical Science at Columbia University in They also formed the reason for his appointment for the Blood for Britain Program.

With the wars in Europe and China raging, it became clear that the US would soon be involved, and the National Research Council and the American Red Cross planned a national blood donation and banking system that would include the production of large numbers of kits of dried plasma for use on the frontlines by medics and in field hospitals. Drew was the obvious choice for the role, and he quickly set up a system of uniform procedures and standards for collecting blood and processing blood plasma at the participating hospitals.

He developed mobile blood donation stations, later called "bloodmobiles. The project was going along well under the direction of Charles Drew. But then arose the problem. Charles Drew was African American.

Born in Washington DC, he attended Amherst College on a football scholarship, and proved himself as great a student as he was an athlete. Following graduation he taught science and coached football at Morgan College to save money for medical school. He failed to meet the entrance requirements at Howard, having 6 hours of English instead of 8, and so entered medical school at McGill University in Quebec, where he studied alongside Caucasian students and learned to treat all patients.

After receiving his MD in second in a class of , he completed his residency at Montreal General Hospital, where he studied treatment of shock and resuscitation. On completion of his residency he wanted to return to the US and receive training in surgery. He won a prize in neuroanatomy and was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha, a medical honor society.

Graduating in , Drew was second in his class and earned both Doctor of Medicine and Master of Surgery degrees. During this time, Drew studied with Dr. John Beattie, and they examined problems and issues regarding blood transfusions.

After his father's death, Drew returned to the United States. He became an instructor at Howard University's medical school in The following year, he did a surgery residence at Freedmen's Hospital in Washington, D. There, he continued his exploration of blood-related matters with John Scudder. Drew developed a method for processing and preserving blood plasma, or blood without cells.

Plasma lasts much longer than whole blood, making it possible to be stored or "banked" for longer periods of time. He discovered that the plasma could be dried and then reconstituted when needed. His research served as the basis of his doctorate thesis, "Banked Blood," and he received his doctorate degree in Drew became the first African American to earn this degree from Columbia. According to one report, Drew helped collect roughly 14, pints of plasma.

In , Drew spearheaded another blood bank effort, this time for the American Red Cross. He worked on developing a blood bank to be used for U. But not long into his tenure there, Drew became frustrated with the military's request for segregating the blood donated by African Americans. At first, the military did not want to use blood from African Americans, but they later said it could only be used for African American soldiers.

Drew was outraged by this racist policy, and resigned his post after only a few months. After creating two of the first blood banks, Drew returned to Howard University in He served as a professor there, heading up the university's department of surgery.

Major scientific achievements:. Discovered method for long-term storage of blood plasma Organized America's first large-scale blood bank. Charles Richard Drew in a lab, c. The breaching of these walls and the laying of this road has not been, and is not easy. What is plasma? Charles Drew with the first mobile blood collecting unit, February Drew teaching interns and residents during rounds at Freedmen's Hospital, c Honors, Awards, Appointments.

Educational Background. Books and Articles on Drew. Bertol, Roland. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, Becker, Chrisanne. San Francisco: Blue Wood Books, Bims, Hamilton. Ebony, February , pp. Haber, Louis. Harcourt, , pp. Hardwick, Richard. Scribners, Lichello, Robert. Love, Spencie. The University of North Carolina Press, For readers in grades 10 and up Mahone-Lonesome, Robyn. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, Sammons, Vivian Ovelton.

Hemisphere Publishing, , pp. Schraff, Anne E.