Refrigerating donated platelets could significantly increase their availability and reduce wastage, according to researchers who tested the approach on cardiac surgery patients. Their findings suggest the blood component can remain effective for up to three weeks when stored at low temperatures.
Extending platelet shelf life
Platelets are a component of blood that plays a critical role in clotting and preventing blood loss.
Donated platelets are conventionally stored at room temperature and have a shelf life of only five to seven days.
The study involved 1,000 children and adults undergoing cardiac surgery at 27 hospitals in the United States and Australia. Patients received either room-temperature platelets stored for fewer than seven days or refrigerated platelets.
Platelets refrigerated for up to three weeks were equally effective at controlling bleeding, the researchers reported in the medical journal JAMA.
Reducing shortages and wastage
A significant proportion of the 2.5 million units of room-temperature platelets collected annually in the United States is discarded because of their short shelf life, the researchers said.
Lead researcher Dr Philip Spinella of the University of Pittsburgh said the findings would “dramatically improve platelet availability while reducing wastage, allowing hospitals outside major cities to afford to keep this lifesaving blood product ready for patients experiencing severe bleeding”.
Benefits for smaller hospitals
Rural and community hospitals currently struggle to justify keeping room-temperature platelets in stock because they do not frequently treat patients with severe bleeding, the research team noted.
The researchers said their findings are already being reviewed by the US Food and Drug Administration and regulatory authorities in other countries.
Source: CNA/Reuters
