Definition: Plasma is the liquid found in lymph and blood. It's a very complex fluid that contains water, electrolytes, antibodies, glucose and many other biochemicals. To isolate plasma, whole blood is centrifuged (spun in a machine at high speeds) which separates the solid part from the liquid part. The solid part of blood contains red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leukocytes) and platelets. Another closely related fluid similar to plasma is serum. Serum is essentially plasma without fibrinogens, which are the proteins that allow the blood to clot.
Plasma is important in treating exposure to both hepatitis A and B because it's the key component of immune globulin (IG). In the case of hepatitis A, IG is given, which may be either concentrated hepatitis A antibody or regular immunoglobulin.
