Prospective change control analysis of transfer of platelet concentrate production from a specialized stem cell transplantation unit to a blood transfusion center

Background and objectives: Specialized centers claim a need for blood component production independent from the general blood transfusion services. We performed a prospective change control analysis of the transfer of platelet (PLT) production for hematological patients at the University Hospital Basel from the Department of Hematology to the Blood Transfusion Centre, Swiss Red Cross, Basel in February 2006. We wanted to demonstrate that neither quality nor transfusion outcome was affected. Material and methods: Production quantity and efficiency, product quality and transfusion outcome were systematically recorded. A 2‐year pretransfer period was compared to a 2 year post‐transfer period. Results: After transfer production quantity at the Blood Transfusion Centre increased from 4,483 to 6,190 PLT concentrates. Production efficiency increased with a significant decrease in the rate of expired products (18% vs. 8%; P < 0.001). Product quality showed a slight decrease in median PLT count per unit (2.84 vs. 2.75 × 10¹¹; P < 0.001) and a slight increase in mean storage time prior to transfusion (3.18 vs. 3.30 days; P < 0.001). Transfusion outcome measured as median corrected count increment one hour post‐transfusion (10.5 vs. 10.7; P = 0.3) and the rate of patients with inadequate post‐transfusion increment (31.5% vs. 32.1%; P = 0.6) did not differ. Conclusion: Supply and quality of PLT products was maintained after the transfer of PLT production to the Blood Transfusion Centre. An optimization of the supply chain process with markedly decreased expiration rates was achieved. These results argue against the need of specialized PLT production sites for selected patient groups. J. Clin. Apheresis, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.