A system for the supply of platelets suspended in a storage medium including buffy-coat-derived platelet concentrates in combination with ''split'' apheresis platelets

Our objective was to create a system for the supply of platelet concentrates (PCs) based on leukocyte-filtered PCs suspended in a storage medium (PAS-II) including: (1) pooled buffy-coat-derived (BC) PCs and (2) ''split'' apheresis PCs. The same standards were intended for the two preparations with regard to composition and blood cell counts. In preliminary studies, similar in vitro data were found for leukocyte-filtered and non-filtered reference BC PCs. Slightly inferior in vitro results than for BC PCs restricted the shelf-life of apheresis PCs to 5 days compared to 7 days for BC PCs. With the present platelet supply system in use as a routine service for one year, the experience was very satisfactory, meeting the demands for PCs very efficiently and resulting in a low out-dating rate (5%). (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.