Fibrinogen content of low-volume cryoprecipitate

Single-donor cryoprecipitate is the most convenient and reliable source of fibrinogen. A change by the regional Red Cross Blood Service to the production of low-volume cryoprecipitate led the authors to reexamine the fibrinogen content of cryoprecipitate units. The average fibrinogen content of individual low-volume (4 ml) units (n = 23) was 101 +/- 48 mg; in the 10-unit pools (n = 9 pools), content was 89 +/- 13 mg. Both measurements were considerably lower than previously published. By contrast, the mean fibrinogen content of regular-volume (15 ml) cryoprecipitate units (n = 8) was 142 +/- 50 mg. The fibrinogen was stable for at least 4 hours after thawing, and it survived refreezing and thawing.