Preparation, storage and quality control of platelet concentrates

Patients with thrombocytopaenia need transfusions of platelet concentrates to prevent or stop bleeding. A platelet transfusion should provide platelets with good functionality. The quality of platelet concentrates (PCs) is affected by the preparation method and the storage conditions including duration of storage, type of storage container, and storage solution (plasma or an additive solution). Different in vivo and in vitro techniques can be used to analyse PCs. Platelets can be collected by apheresis technique, and from whole blood using either the buffy-coat or the platelet-rich plasma method. PCs can be gamma irradiated to prevent occurrence of graft-versus-host disease in the recipient. Pathogen inactivation procedures have been developed to prevent transmission of bacteraemia.