Human Platelets in Intravenous Fluids Probed by Raman Tweezers Spectroscopy

Intravenous fluids (IVs) play crucial roles in postblood transfusions. It is frequently used for cell washing in some cases, before transfusions, to prevent allergic reactions in patients with hypersensitivity to plasma proteins and also to reduce risk in certain situations, such as acute lung injury due to transfusion-related shock, patients with impaired immune systems, and pediatric patients. Other than cell washing, intravenous fluid therapy is an essential medical practice in hospitals. Despite their widespread use, the effects of IV fluids on platelet function have not been thoroughly explored. The present study investigates the interaction of live platelets with various IV fluids, such as normal saline, hypertonic saline, hypotonic saline, and plasmalyte-A for the first time using a laboratory assembled Raman Tweezers system. Platelet additive solution is considered as the control for the experiment. The result shows that the platelets treated with intravenous (IV) fluids had higher peak intensities in the phospholipid Raman marker bands, corresponding to heightened surface expression of phospholipids and proteins, which are indicative of platelet activation. The morphological changes such as filopodia formations on platelets and shape change from discoid to spherical form support the above said findings. While platelet activation has great significance for hemostasis, needless activation can cause harmful effects on people suffering from various health conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases.