In-process cell counts during preparation of platelet concentrates from buffy coats.
To ensure the quality of platelet concentrates (PCs), we studied in-process recoveries of blood cell counts in pooled PCs derived from four or five buffy coats (BCs) from Biopack Compoflex Systems in Bern (PC-BC/4 or PC-BC/5) and from five BCs from Optipac (Baxter) in Zurich (PC-BC/5). BCs were pooled employing a sterile connecting device and flushing them with 300 mL of platelet additive solution. The pools were centrifuged for 12 min at 500 g at 20 degrees C and filtered with PALL's Auto-Stop BC-leukocyte removal filter. Automated platelet counting was performed on whole blood donation, on single BC, on pooled BC and in the final product. Four out of 10 PC-BC/4 (= 40%) and 29 out of 30 PC-BC/5 (= 97%) had a total platelet count of > 200 x 10(9) platelets. Average percentage recoveries in PC compared to the pre-centrifugation BC pools were similar with the Biopack Compoflex and the Optipac systems, 62% and 57% respectively, whereby the absolute platelet count per one donation was similar, i.e. 49.5 x 10(9), 55 x 10(9) and 53 x 10(9) in PC-BC/4 and PC-BC/5 from Bern and PC-BC/5 from Zurich. There was a significant positive correlation between the inital number of BCs taken for pooling and the final platelet counts in the PCs. In order to recover a minimal platelet content of 200 x 10(9) platelets per pooled unit, it is safer to start out with five rather than with four donations unless recoveries during the production steps can be improved.
Stampfli
R
R
Regional Blood Transfusion Center, Bern, Switzerland.
Schaller
M
M
Schenker
T
T
Frey-Wettstein
M
M
Hauser
S P
SP
Nydegger
U E
UE
D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001781:Blood Component Removal; D001782:Blood Donors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D010976:Platelet Count