Storage and transfusion of platelets collected by an automated two-stage apheresis procedure

Platelets collected by using a two-stage automated blood cell separator were evaluated after 5 days of storage. The procedure caused no unanticipated physiologic changes in donors and produced greater than 3 x 10(11) intact platelets in 200 mL of plasma, plus an additional 400 mL of plasma with intact coagulation factors. Posttransfusion recovery of autologous radiolabeled platelets was comparable to that seen in platelets prepared by manual centrifugation techniques. Corrected count increments in 14 patients showed results similar to those with control transfusions. This device, which involves a collection time of less than 90 minutes, provides an option for platelet-pheresis in a variety of settings including blood mobiles.