Platelet concentrates prepared after a 20- to 24-hour hold of the whole blood at 22°C.
BACKGROUND
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that red blood cells must be refrigerated within 8 hours of whole blood collection. Longer storage of whole blood at 22°C before component preparation would have many advantages.


METHODS
Two methods of holding whole blood for 20 to 24 hours at room temperature were evaluated, refrigerated plates or a 23°C incubator. After extended whole blood storage, platelet (PLT) concentrates were prepared from PLT-rich plasma on Day 1 postdonation, and the PLTs were stored for 6 more days. On Day 7 of PLT storage, blood was drawn from each subject to prepare fresh PLTs. The stored and fresh PLTs were radiolabeled and transfused into their donor.


RESULTS
Eleven subjects' whole blood was stored using refrigerated butanediol plates (Compocool, Fresenius), and 10 using an incubator. Poststorage PLT recoveries averaged 47 ± 13% versus 53 ± 11% and survivals averaged 4.6 ± 1.7 days versus 4.7 ± 0.9 days for Compocool versus incubator storage, respectively (p = NS). With all results, poststorage PLT recoveries averaged 75 ± 10% of fresh and survivals 57 ± 13% of fresh; PLT recoveries met FDA guidelines for poststorage PLT viability but not survivals.


CONCLUSIONS
Seven-day poststorage PLT viability is comparable when whole blood is stored for 22 ± 2 hours at 22°C using either refrigerated plates or an incubator to maintain temperature before preparing PLT concentrates.
Puget Sound Blood Center and University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98104-1256, USA. sjslichter@psbc.org
Sherrill J
SJ
Slichter
Jill
J
Corson
Mary Kay
MK
Jones
Todd
T
Christoffel
Esther
E
Pellham
Doug
D
Bolgiano
D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D001793:Blood Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival; D003080:Cold Temperature; D006801:Humans; D010976:Platelet Count; D053657:Platelet-Rich Plasma / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D010983:Plateletpheresis / Q000379:methods*; D012034:Refrigeration; D013997:Time Factors