title: Platelet production methods in the United Kingdom.
abstract: Platelets had traditionally been produced in the United Kingdom (U.K.) either from random donor blood by centrifugation of the platelet rich plasma or by plateletpheresis using various apheresis machines. The proportions of apheresis versus non-apheresis derived platelets varying from centre to centre depending on local policy. The production of platelets from random donor blood is labour intensive and in the late 1980s and early 1990s, biotechnology manufacturers developed newer automated techniques to derive platelets from buffy coats aiming to produce a more standard product and reduce the labour intensity of platelet production. At the same time, apheresis technology has continued to develop with the aim of maximising platelet yields from single donors by yielding 4-6 single unit equivalent of platelets per donor while eliminating the need for further laboratory processing. The trend in some European countries and in North America has been to move away from platelets recovered from whole blood either by buffy coat method or by centrifugation of platelet-rich plasma to plateletpheresis. Intense pressure is being put on blood centres to introduce newer technologies which are inevitably more expensive methods of platelet production. Since 1992, centres in the U.K. have gradually changed their method of platelet production and a survey was conducted to examine the status of platelet production within the U.K. This has shown that many centres are moving away from the production of random donor unit platelets derived by secondary centrifugation of platelet rich plasma (25%) towards buffy-coat derived platelets (45.3%) while plateletpheresis remains fairly static (29.7).
authors.affiliation: National Blood Service Yorkshire, Bridle Path, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Gesinde
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Pamphilon
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000166:cytology*; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D017713:Platelet Transfusion; D006113:United Kingdom