title: Prospective change control analysis of transfer of platelet concentrate production from a specialized stem cell transplantation unit to a blood transfusion center.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Specialized centers claim a need for blood component production independent from the general blood transfusion services. We performed a prospective change control analysis of the transfer of platelet (PLT) production for hematological patients at the University Hospital Basel from the Department of Hematology to the Blood Transfusion Centre, Swiss Red Cross, Basel in February 2006. We wanted to demonstrate that neither quality nor transfusion outcome was affected.
  
  
  METHODS
  Production quantity and efficiency, product quality and transfusion outcome were systematically recorded. A 2-year pretransfer period was compared to a 2 year post-transfer period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After transfer production quantity at the Blood Transfusion Centre increased from 4,483 to 6,190 PLT concentrates. Production efficiency increased with a significant decrease in the rate of expired products (18% vs. 8%; P < 0.001). Product quality showed a slight decrease in median PLT count per unit (2.84 vs. 2.75 × 10(11); P < 0.001) and a slight increase in mean storage time prior to transfusion (3.18 vs. 3.30 days; P < 0.001). Transfusion outcome measured as median corrected count increment one hour post-transfusion (10.5 vs. 10.7; P = 0.3) and the rate of patients with inadequate post-transfusion increment (31.5% vs. 32.1%; P = 0.6) did not differ.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Supply and quality of PLT products was maintained after the transfer of PLT production to the Blood Transfusion Centre. An optimization of the supply chain process with markedly decreased expiration rates was achieved. These results argue against the need of specialized PLT production sites for selected patient groups.
authors.affiliation: Blood Transfusion Centre, Swiss Red Cross, Basel, Switzerland. siglej@uhbs.ch
authors.forename: Joerg-Peter
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Sigle
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Medinger
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Infanti
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Heim
authors.forename: Joerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Halter
authors.forename: Alois
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gratwohl
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buser
mesh_terms: D001803:Blood Transfusion; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D017713:Platelet Transfusion / Q000592:standards; D010983:Plateletpheresis / Q000592:standards; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011786:Quality Control; D012011:Red Cross; D013557:Switzerland