Preparation and storage of white blood cell-reduced split apheresis platelet concentrates for pediatric use

BACKGROUND: White blood cell (WBC) reduction and bacterial screening induce unacceptable product loss when platelet (PLT) concentrates (PCs) for pediatric transfusion are prepared from whole blood. The aim was to investigate PCs, WBC reduced and bacterially screened, from single-donor apheresis procedures, divided in 3 or 4 pediatric units and stored up to 5 days. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: PCs were collected with an apheresis machine and WBC reduced by in-process filtration. The PCs were sampled for bacterial screening and subsequently divided in 70-mL products. Initially, storage characteristics of split units in 400-mL polyvinylchloride (PVC) bags with 17 split PCs originating from five apheresis donations were studied. When a 600-mL container made of the more gas-permeable polyolefin became available, a paired comparison was performed with 9 split PCs from nine donations and with a higher-yield PLT collection procedure. RESULTS: Split PCs contained 69 x 10(9) +/- 14 x 10(9) PLTs in 69 +/- 1 mL of plasma, and storage in the PVC containers gave a pH value of 6.86 +/- 0.10 on Day 6 (mean +/- SD, n = 17). When comparing the containers, the PVC bag contained 98 x 10(9) +/- 15 x 10(9) PLTs in 72 +/- 4 mL versus 102 x 10(9) +/- 18 x 10(9) PLTs in 74 +/- 8 mL for the polyolefin bag (n = 9, not significant). This gave pH values on Day 6 of 6.12 +/- 0.50 in the PVC container, whereas pH remained acceptable in the polyolefin container: 6.85 +/- 0.10 on Day 6 (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: PCs for pediatric use from split single-donor apheresis concentrates, WBC reduced and bacterially screened, can be stored for up to 5 days in a 600-mL polyolefin container with maintenance of good in vitro storage variables.