Current Practice in FFP Preparation and Use in Greece: A National Survey

Area of Science:

• Transfusion Medicine
• Hematology
• Clinical Pathology

Background:

• Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfusion is a common clinical practice with variable implementation due to a lack of standardized guidelines.
• Assessing current FFP production, utilization, and wastage is crucial for optimizing transfusion services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate FFP production, use, and wastage across Greek hospitals.
• To examine the implementation of quality control (QC) measures, policies on female donor plasma, and the use of hemostatic agents in Greece.

Main Methods:

• A national survey conducted in 20 Greek hospitals from February to April 2018.
• Data collection included FFP transfusion indications, patient demographics, ABO compatibility, donor sex, and reasons for discarding.
• Questionnaire analysis was used to assess QC practices, female donor plasma policies, and hemostatic agent utilization.

Main Results:

• Over 12,000 FFP units were transfused to 2,700 patients, with most transfusions in internal medicine, general surgery, and ICU.
• Key reasons for discarding FFP included quality issues (30%), female donors (22%), and other factors (27%).
• Only 28% of transfusion services adhered to European QC standards, while 69% discarded female donor plasma; hemostatic agents were used in 37% of hospitals.

Conclusions:

• This is the first national survey on FFP practices in Greece, highlighting variability in production and use.
• Regular training for clinical staff and potential centralization of FFP production could enhance practice consistency and product quality.
• Increased use of pharmaceutical hemostatic agents may improve patient management in transfusion settings.