Chemical and Microbiological Changes of Expired Platelet Concentrate.

Background: Platelets are a commonly used blood component to prevent or treat bleeding in patients with thrombocytopenia or platelet dysfunction. They are stored at room temperature (22-24°C) for five days unless specific measures are taken to extend the shelf life to seven days or more. After five days, this study evaluated platelet units' biochemical changes and bacterial growth. Study Design and Methods: Platelet concentrate was collected from 30 random donors: 8 females and 22 males. The collected samples were then placed on an agitator at room temperature and tested for their pH, protein content, and glucose levels using Roche Combur 100 Test® Strips. The Haemonetics eBDS™ System was used for bacterial detection. The measurements were taken on day five as the control and then repeated on days 7, 9, and 11 to observe any changes. On days 5 and 7, all parameters remained unchanged. However, glucose levels significantly changed (p=<0.0001) on days 9 and 11. Regarding pH, a significant change was observed on day 9 (p=0.033) and day 11 (p=0.0002). Results: There were no significant changes in all parameters on days 5 and 7. However, glucose was substantially changed (p=<0.0001) on days 9 and 11. For pH, there was a significant change in pH on day 9 (p=0.033) and day 11 (p=0.0002). Discussions: Our study found that platelet concentrate extension is possible for up to seven days. However, further studies are needed to evaluate platelet function during expiry time and to assess the stability of platelet morphology and function.

The use of transfusion quality indicators as a tool for hemovigilance system implementation at a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To report 2-years experience of using transfusion-related quality indicators as a tool in hemovigilance system implementation.  METHODS: The study was carried out between 2012 and 2013. Blood transfusion service data were prospectively collected at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Donor reactions, transfusion reactions, fresh frozen plasma (FFP) in-date wastage, incidents, and errors pertaining to orders, or requests were collected quarterly and prospectively and forwarded to the Hospital Transfusion Committee (HTC) for review.  RESULTS: Donor population consisted of 23,132 donors. One hundred and forty-eight donor reactions were reported, resulting in a rate of 0.6%. Eighty-four transfusion reactions were reported and most were allergic reactions (79.7%). Errors or incidents were reported with approximately 0.3% of the total number of submitted samples/request forms. The FFP in-date wastage was 21.3% of the total FFP wastage. The HTC regularly reviewed the hemovigilance data and reporting; and safety improvements were implemented.  CONCLUSION: The use of quality indicators as a tool for developing and implementing a hemovigilance system provided a better understanding of improvement areas for continuous progress in quality and safety, and is expected to enhance these features along the blood transfusion chain.