Supply and demand: A shortage of blood plasma leaves some Triad patients trying not to 'panic'

ARCHDALE — Brittany Mathews glances at the vials stacked on her coffee table. They’re her last line of defense. The lifeline she hopes will allow her to see her 5-year-old son, Daniel, graduate from high school and perhaps even get married.

But Mathews suffers from Evans syndrome, an autoimmune disease, and common variable immune deficiency, a primary immunodeficiency — which means her body doesn’t produce the antibodies needed to fight infection. And those vials labeled “Immune Globulin Injection” are getting harder to come by, she said.

Twice a month she undergoes intravenous immunoglobulin therapy (IVIg), which is derived from the blood plasma. Plasma contains antibodies to fight infections, clotting proteins to help stop bleeding and albumin, an important protein that stops water leaking out of the blood vessels and protects nutrients, hormones and some medications.

Earlier this year, Mathews’ pharmacist told the 29-year-old Archdale mother that the pharmacy had to switch the majority of customers like her to different products because they were unable to get their usual supply. “Because of the shortage, they had to ration out where plasma was going to go.” Mathews said.

Read more: https://www.greensboro.com/news/local_news/supply-and-demand-a-shortage-of-blood-plasma-leaves-some/article_6889706f-7cec-5a7c-9daf-11cafedf760a.html