A transfusion service in New England is asking when do hospitals that maintain platelet inventories (either pheresis platelets and/or platelet concentrates) irradiate platelet units, if the product has not already been irradiated by their supplier? Are the platelets irradiated upon receipt of the product from the supplier, or are the platelets irradiated shortly before issuing them for transfusion? Or, is some other timing used for when the platelets are irradiated? At hospitals that maintain a mixed inventory or platelets (pheresis platelets and platelet concentrates) is the irradiation strategy the same for both kinds of platelet products?

The following comments have been received.

ADDENDA Apr. 27, 2006

1. A colleague who works in a sunbelt state reports that her hospital maintains an inventory of apheresis platelets, but they do not irradiate these products until a transfusion is actually ordered. The reason for this is that their blood supplier will allow them to return pheresis platelets that have at least 24 hours of shelf life remaining. However, if they irradiate the platelets, the blood supplier will not take them back. She acknowledges that they do not often return platelets to their supplier, but adds that it is 'nice to have that option'. Since the actual irradiation of the platelets takes about six minutes, she believes that irradiating the platelets just before they are issued for transfusion does not cause an undue delay.

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Ira A. Shulman, MD
CBBS e-Network Forum Editor & Moderator