Profiling clinical platelet and plasma use to inform blood supply and contingency planning: PUPPY, the prospective utilization of platelets and plasma study.

Background: Demand for platelet (PLT) and plasma transfusions is increasing. Improved clinical supply and contingency planning requires greater understanding of usage profiles and urgency of clinical requirement.

Study Design And Methods: This study was a random-sample survey of PLT and plasma units produced in Victoria, Australia, to determine product disposition, recipient demographics, clinical indications for transfusion, and urgency (or "deferability") of need.

Cryopreservation of red blood cells: effect of freezing on red cell quality and residual lymphocyte immunogenicity.

Aims: To investigate treatment with glycerol/washing as a potential substitute for freeze-thawing in the production of leucocyte depleted red cell concentrates for patients with a history of non-haemolytic reactions following transfusion.

Methods: The standard procedure of treatment with glycerol/-80 degrees C freezing/thawing/washing was compared with a similar procedure in which freezing was omitted. The quality of the resulting red cell products was assessed in relation to: (1) standard red cell biochemical parameters; (2) leucocyte and lymphocyte subset composition using flow cytometry with fluorescent labelled monoclonal antibodies; and (3) immunogenicity of the residual lymphocytes in mixed lymphocyte culture.