Platelet swirl revisited

[Mabel Adams]

In this modern world where cold storage of platelets is now accepted by FDA and almost all are pathogen-reduced, what do we do with a room temperature stored platelet that lacks swirl?  Give it to a bleeding patient like cold-stored platelets? Do you reject platelets that arrive from the supplier within appropriate temperature but lacking swirl?  Do you have an assessment that helps you decide they are okay to use?

[AMcCord]

The ARC told us to put the chilly platelets in the incubator and let them rock for a couple of hours, then recheck for swirl. If they look good at that point and our pathologist is OK with that (which they usually are), we put them into inventory. We will use the unit(s), if we need to, until we restock. If the patient can wait for the next shipment, we hold off. Fortunately we only see this problem once or twice every winter.

[Mabel Adams]

We put the unit in the incubator and this morning it shows some swirl, so we are accepting it.