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In my experience, if the platelet product is removed from the original container, the expiration period may be affected by the new storage container's ability to maintain optimal storage conditions. Apheresis platelets are collected in bags that are gas-permeable - if product is transferred to another type of bag (not validated for platelet storage), this should be considered when assigning the expiration date/time even if you volume-depleted using a sterile connecting device. I also consider this when removing the supernatant from CPDA or AS red blood cells (as in intrauterine or exchange transfusions) - you can do everything in a functionally closed system but when you remove the "food", the red cells do not exist in the same environment and cannot be expected to maintain the same functionality. The reason that the Technical Manual is not going to specify is that everything depends on the validation of functional survival of the stored platelet and there isn't data available to make a valid claim.

If I remember correctly AABB has a book on the validation of pneumatic tube systems for the transport of blood products. It was very thorough and in MY opinion overly and unnecessarily complex. We validated ours before it was available by simply timing the transport and checking the temp on arrival. If I remember correctly we may have even let the units used settle out to see if there was any excessive hemolysis visible but I'm not sure on that since is was 16 years and 3 jobs ago. Since we were transporting to every nursing unit in the facility we were most concerned with those farthest from the blood bank. We were fortunate to be able to do this prior to moving into the new facility which made life much simpler.

We store our reagents in a blood bank refrigerator and I keep the range 2-6°C so it meets the needs for both blood products and reagents. It's been handy when one of the refrigerators has an issue-there's no questioning if items were stored at the appropriate range. When we have needed a back up refrigertor, not all of our reagents and products fit in one fridge and we move some of the reagents to heme and take temps every 4 hours.

Hello - We went to the smaller containers years ago because the large ones were too heavy to comfortably lift and move. It is worth the extra cost to save a tech's back/neck/shoulders!

Just a little free advice and it's worth every penny. Pick your battles carefully and make sure they are worth fighting and the potential cost of losing. Good luck.