Effect of 24-hour whole-blood storage on plasma clotting factors

The current requirements for the preparation of fresh-frozen plasma within 8 hours of whole-blood collection were designed to maintain clotting factor activities. These requirements, however, limit the production of fresh-frozen plasma in a large blood center. There are few data on the effect of the extension of CPD whole-blood storage to 24 hours on clotting factor activity.

A 500-mL unit of whole blood was collected from 10 volunteer donors. At 1 hour after collection, a plasma sample was separated by centrifugation, and each unit was equally divided into 2 half-units, with 1 half-unit stored at 4 degrees C (range, 1-6 degrees C) and 1 half-unit stored at 22 degrees C (range, 20-24 degrees C) for 8 hours after collection. Each half-unit was then placed at 4 degrees C for further storage for 16 hours. At 8 and 24 hours after collection, plasma samples were separated from each half-unit. All plasma samples were frozen at -18 degrees C. Factors V, VII, VIII, and X; fibrinogen; antithrombin III; protein C; and protein S were measured.

No significant changes were noted in factors V, VII, and X; fibrinogen; antithrombin III; protein C; and protein S over the 24-hour storage period. Factor VIII in both half-units was significantly reduced, by 13 percent, from the baseline sample as compared to the level in the 8-hour storage sample (p<0.05). Factor VIII was further reduced by 15 to 20 percent after the 24-hour storage period (p<0.05).

The coagulation factor activity for all factors measured, with the exception of factor VIII, showed no significant change over the 24-hour storage period. Factor VIII was significantly decreased by 13 percent in 8-hour storage and by an additional 15 to 20 percent in 24-hour storage. For clinical situations not requiring the replacement of factor VIII only, 24-hour frozen plasma has properties comparable to those of fresh-frozen plasma.