Evaluación in vitro de la eficacia de plaquetas convencionales, atemperadas y congeladas. Posible empleo en el medio militar / In vitro evaluation of the efficacy of fresh, temperatured and frozen platelets. Possible employment in the military environment

Introducción: La hemorragia exanguinante es la primera causa de muerte prevenible del combatiente en los conflictos armados, convirtiendo así la posibilidad de transfundir hemocomponentes de manera precoz en una prestación absolutamente fundamental durante la asistencia sanitaria a las bajas generadas en las operaciones militares. A lo largo de los numerosos conflictos acontecidos durante el pasado siglo, se han producido importantes cambios en el tratamiento hemoterápico a las bajas junto con una evolución de la doctrina sanitaria respecto a este tema. En algunos protocolos de transfusión masiva se ha empleado la técnica diagnóstica de la tromboelastometría (TE). La TE es una prueba que muestra las propiedades viscoelásticas de la sangre desde la formación del coágulo hasta su fibrinólisis, evalúa la función plaquetaria y se correlaciona con el proceso fisiológico de la hemostasia de una forma rápida. El objetivo principal de este estudio es evaluar in vitro la capacidad hemostática de los diversos concentrados de plaquetas frías, congeladas y frescas mediante pruebas de coagulación estandarizadas y tromboelastometría, esclareciendo si se mejora significativamente la contribución al coágulo con los pool de plaquetas frías (conservadas a 4ºC), en comparación con las plaquetas frescas y congeladas. También se pretende determinar qué ventajas supondría la incorporación de las plaquetas frías en la medicina transfusional realizada en el medio militar. Material y método: Se diseñó un estudio experimental para comparar in vitro plaquetas frías (refrigeradas), congeladas y frescas (convencionales), analizando su rendimiento y efectividad mediante análisis sistemático de sangre, mecanismos de laboratorio de coagulación rutinarios (Tiempo de Protrombina, Actividad de Protrombina, Tiempo de Cefalina y Fibrinógeno) y Tromboelastometría rotacional (ROTEM)...(AU)

Introduction: Exsanguinating hemorrhage is the first preventable cause of death for combatants in armed conflicts, thus making the possibility of transfusing blood components early an absolutely essential benefit during health care for casualties generated in military operations. Throughout the numerous conflicts that have occurred during the past century, there have been important changes in the hemotherapy treatment of casualties along with an evolution of the health doctrine regarding this issue. In some massive transfusion protocols, the diagnostic technique of thromboelastometry (TE) has been used. TE is a test that shows the viscoelastic properties of blood from clot formation to fibrinolysis, evaluates platelet function and correlates quickly with the physiological process of hemostasis. The main objective of this study is the evaluation in vitro of the hemostatic capacity of the various cold, frozen and fresh platelet concentrates through standardized coagulation tests and thromboelastometry, clarifying whether the contribution to the clot is significantly improved with cold platelet pools (preserved at 4ºC), compared to fresh and frozen platelets. It is also intended to determine what advantages would be the incorporation of cold platelets in transfusion medicine performed in the military environment. Material and methods: An experimental study was designed to compare cold (refrigerated), frozen and fresh (conventional) platelets in vitro, analyzing their performance and effectiveness through systematic blood analysis, routine laboratory coagulation mechanisms (Prothrombin Time, Prothrombin Activity, Cephalin and Fibrinogen) and Rotational Thromboelastometry (ROTEM).A sample of 20 healthy patients was recruited, after informing them in writing and obtaining the mandatory informed consent, they donated 6 tubes with 10 ml citrate. of blood per patient...(AU)

Frozen and cold-stored platelets: reconsidered platelet products.

Platelet transfusion, both prophylactic and therapeutic, is a key element in modern medicine. Currently, the standard platelet product for clinical use is platelet concentrates at room temperature (20-24°C) under gentle agitation. As this temperature favors bacterial growth, storage is limited to 5-7 days, which result in high wastage rate, and complicates inventory and product availability at remote areas. Frozen and/or cold storage would ameliorate those disadvantages by reducing the risk of bacterial contamination and by extending the product shelf-life to weeks or even years. Consequently, the usefulness in transfusion medicine of platelet cryopreservation and refrigeration, two old and scarcely used platelet storage approaches, is reemerging. Indeed, there have been substantial recent research efforts to characterize both cold and cryopreserved platelets. Most recent studies indicate that cryopreserved and cold platelets display a pro-coagulant profile that may produce the rapid hemostatic response which is needed in bleeding patients. Thus, it seems appropriate that blood banks and blood transfusion centers explore the possibility of split platelet inventories consisting of platelets stored at room temperature and cryopreserved and cold-stored platelets.