Platelets
Chemical
Platelets and plasma (40%)
Collection
Collected whole blood or by apheresis
Apheresis platelets – an apheresis machine separates anticoagulated blood andretains the platelets with a portion of plasma. The remaining elements (RBC, WBC, plasma) are returned to the donor.
Pooled platelets – derived from four identical ABO whole blood donations
Undergo leukodepletion & irradiation
Modifications
Apheresis platelets can be modified as irradiated, CMV-seronagative, HLA-compatible, phenotyped and/or low anti-A/B
Pooled platelets can only be CMV-seronegative and/or irradiated
Storage
20-24 C and must be continually agitated
Stored for 5 days
Use
Clinically significant bleeding with thrombocytopenia or platelet function defects regardless of platelet count
Congenital/acquired functional platelet defects
Thrombocytopenia and high risk (fever, risk of ICH, requiring invasive procedures)
Mechanism of Action
Haemostasis