Whole blood donated at a drive is rarely transfused as whole blood; within hours it is spun in a centrifuge and separated into red cells, plasma, and platelets, each stored differently and given to a different kind of patient. Red cells go to trauma victims and surgery patients, plasma to burn victims and people with clotting disorders, and platelets, which last only about a week, to cancer patients whose treatments suppress their own production. A single donation can therefore help as many as three separate patients, a fact that donation centers repeat often because it addresses a common misconception that one pint helps only one person.
It can be inferred from the passage that platelets require more frequent donation drives than red cells because
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Correct answer to question 93 (Paragraph Comprehension): platelets have a much shorter storage life
Method
The passage says platelets last only about a week, far shorter than the other components, implying that keeping a supply on hand requires more frequent donation.
Updated: November 2026
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