State of the art in platelet transfusion therapy

Platelet transfusions are established as effective treatment for thrombocytopenic bleeding, and are commonly used prophylactically to prevent bleeding in thrombocytopenic patients. However, many issues in platelet supportive care remain to be resolved, including the optimal methods for the preparation of platelet concentrates, the best means for the prevention of complications such as platelet refractoriness, transfusion reactions and the transmission of infection, and the precise clinical indications for their use. The demand for platelet concentrates continues to rise, mainly due to the increasing number of patients undergoing myeloablative therapy. This is leading to considerable interest in the coming availability of recombinant thrombopoietin for clinical use.