title: [Comparison of the clotting factor activity and thawing time in different thawing procedures of the fresh frozen plasma].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) should be thawed in a water bath at 30-37 degrees C. Suitable temperature, the prevention for bacterial contamination, and the efficiency of the process are necessary for a thawing procedure. In this study, we compared the clotting factor activity and thawing time in different thawing procedures; a water bath, the thermostatic thawing chamber (FP-40, Hokuyo ; Kawasumi, Japan), and the microwave system (Transfusio-therm 2000 AMCO; Zeipel, Germany).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thawing time and the clotting factor activity (prothrombin time: PT, prothrombin time-international normalized ratio: PT-INR, activated partial thromboplastin time: APTT, fibrinogen, andfactors V) of thawed FFP-5 units were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thawing time using Transfusio-therm 2000 was 11.4 minutes, which was faster than that using the water bath and FP-40 of about 39.5 and 27.3 minutes, respectively (P<0.01). There were no differences between the three methods in terms of the clotting factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The microwave system is useful in shortening the time safety, and maintaining the clotting factor activity in thawed FFP
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga 849-850.
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanigawa
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakagawachi
authors.forename: Satsuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.forename: Yoshiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakaguchi
mesh_terms: D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008872:Microwaves; D010949:Plasma; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001779:Blood Coagulation Factors