PREPARATION AND UTILIZATION OF LEUKOCYTE POOR APHERESIS PLATELETS

Efficiency of collection of apheresis platelets was found to be equivalent (approximately 50%) with the COBE 2997, the Fenwal CS3000, Haemonetics V50 or COBE Spectra(TM) cell separators. A minor fraction (1.5-3.5%) of 6466 consecutive transfusions of apheresis platelets were complicated by febrile transfusion reactions (FTRs). There was a 12.1% incidence of second FTRs following an initial reaction. Centrifugation, filtration, or the provision of platelets harvested on the COBE Spectra(TM) reduced the incidence of subsequent FTRs to less-than-or-equal-to 3.1% in patients with two prior FTRs. Leukocyte content in apheresis platelets ranged from 5 x 10(5) in COBE Spectra(TM) apheresis platelets to 10(9) in platelets from the Fenwal CS3000 or COBE 2997. Filtered platelets from the Haemonetics V50 were as leukopoor as COBE Spectra(TM) apheresis platelets, but centrifugation or filtration of other apheresis platelets did not achieve equivalent leukodepletion. These results suggest that (1) FTRs are rare after transfusion of apheresis platelets; and (2) provision of either platelets from the COBE Spectra(TM) or other apheresis platelets which have been centrifuged or filtered can avoid FTRs in the majority of patients with a history of repeated prior reactions.