Optimizing blood component preparation: qualitative, logistic and economic aspects.

The changing pattern in transfusion medicine with emphasis on the collection of plasma for fractionation and Factor VIII production, an increased use of platelets, and needs to reduce virus transmission and leukocyte immunogenicity, has made it important to optimize the procedures used in the preparation of blood components. The anticoagulant solution should allow sufficient time between collection and component preparation without considerable loss of quality. Whenever possible, red cells and platelets should be stored in special storage media, thus allowing a maximum volume of plasma to be collected and fractionated into plasma products. Some examples of procedures in current use or under development and their practical and economical consequences are given in this brief review.