Igloo Coolers and Dry Ice- Any Experience/Issues?

[capndave]

Our Transfusion Service is assuming responsibility for managment of frozen tissues. We are considering the issue of these tissues in an Igloo cooler with dry ice so that upon return the tissue "may" be suitable for reissue. Has anyone experience with this? pros and cons?

[Laura Mc]

We also issue tissue to the OR but decided to use the thick styrofoam inserts that come with the tissue or can be purchased separately. We did not try to use the igloos. We were concerned about cracking if they got too cold.

[Sue Miller]

Does anyone use regular ice packs and set a time limit for tissue to be in the cooler?

[Texas1976]

The Igloo Playmate is so relatively inexpensive, the "dry ice" lifespan of a year or so is actually pretty good - especially as opposed to using disposable fiberboard shipping boxes.

We use Igloo products with dry ice routinely - however, we use dry ice pellets, NOT the more common sliced blocks. I can't remember for certain off the top of my head, but I think the Igloo Playmate validated for 12 hours under a "normal use" environment, packed with 10 FFP units and about 3 pounds of dry ice pellets. (Our procedure limits staff to 8 hours of transit time).

Hope this helps. -robert

[Randy]

Frozen tissue and allografts need to be monitored at all times beginning Jul 1, 2005 due to new JCAHO regulations for compliance. Consider ultra-cold digital temperature validators programmed for sampling on-board and recording to -100C and then download the data to CD for file record to meet these new requirements...product code: ATW-VJ-1E-DN-16-L with digital display and up to 16,000 readings...www.atw-international.com

Hope this helps...

[TStec]

I am the "go to " person for tissues in our hospital. Storage acceptability is a BIG issue. Frozen is frozen has been the mind set. However, various tissues have temperature requirements. We are working in committee on this issue. Now they check that there is dry ice in the shipment when it arrives to satisfy incoming acceptance criteria. Most of the tissues are logged in the OR and placed in a Blood Bank central alarm monitored <65 C freezer. Some tissues arrive for specific recipient surgery. These are inspected on arrival and remain in the shipping container for that sceduled surgery.

We have a sub-committee of the hospital transfusion committee that has representatives from, purchasing, surgery, blood bank, infection control and central processing. This committee "qualifies" all tissue suppliers, I have a checklist in MS Access for suppliers and recalls. The problem has been surgeons who order "ala cart" items for a patient already booked. When this happens, the Transfusion Service MD gives them a call to explain FDA regulations now in effect and signs off on a "deviation" for that tissue until the committee's next monthly meeting. It has happened twice and so far there are no repeat offenders.

SO the bottom line is that dry ice does hold the tissue in a frozen state. That is how we transported stem cell products to the recipient's bedside for thawing. I just put a "verified/certified" liquid in glass freezer thermometer in the box among the stem cell cassettes and recorded the temperature of the "storage container" when I take out the first unit and the last unit to document that acceptable storage was maintained. I DO NOT return any tissue(s) that was on dry ice

[Bonni Hazelton]

I agree that the mind set has been "...frozen is frozen".

I think there may be a problem with the use of dry ice (-80 C) for stem cells that are required to be stored at temperatures below -120 degrees C (those containing DMSO as the only cryoprotectant). A combination of DMSO (5%) and hetastarch (5%) used in the cryopreservation of stem cell products does, however, allow for storage at -80C and therefore could be shipped/transported to bedside on dry ice.

Igloo coolers are very resilient and can also be set up to tranport stem cells to the bedside in liquid nitrogen vapor. Validation indicates that the conditions we use can hold <-120 C for over 3 hours during an infusion event. We have used liquid nitrogen in some of our Igloo coolers for over 10 years and they are still not cracked and hold temperature well. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS must be carefully addressed when setting up for this type of transport!

I don't think transport of -120 frozen products at -80 is an acceptable practice.

[dingalls2]

we have surgeons who insist on having a range of sizes of frozen bone in the OR until they "decide" which size they need. Some pieces get issued and returned 10-20 times without being used. I think this must compromise the integrity of pieces- where can I find proof OR maybe that's ok. Thanks for any help

[bbbirder]

I would contact the frozen Tissue supplier directly about your issuing, return, and reissue questions.

When our -40 Freezer was down and we had to use an alternative, -32 freezer, they were able to tell me this was OK and we wouldn't have to discard $$$ worth of frozen tissues in 6 months.

Linda Frederick

[Eleyda]

We tried to validate igloos for transport and if you are using a data logger during transport, after our validations it was not stable enough to keep product in range.

So far he wave been using Credo (previously Golden Hour) products from Minnesota Thermal Science http://www.mnthermalscience.com/Index.aspx and those boxes are extremely reliable.

[Elizabeth Gillis]

We store frozen tissue at -40 C, and issue to the OR. We use the styrofoam coolers. We use the blocks of ice on the bottom and top, and this holds the temp. Tissue stored at -40C expiration date is 6 months.

[Mabel Adams]

When we validated our old coolers for dry ice temps for frozen tissues to be issued to the OR we couldn't get them to hold the low temps stated on the tissues as required for storage. I am looking at the Credo -40C containers but they weigh about 30 lbs empty. Is anyone using them and finding that they are too heavy?

Are there any other companies that make a cooler or container that can hold the temps below -40C? The tissue company didn't think it was acceptable that the tissues just stay frozen but they had to stay down at the -40C range. Maybe we just need a different brand of cheap cooler???

[Mabel Adams]

We just purchased Credo cubes from Minnesota Thermal Science to use to keep our tissues at the -40C the tissue company says they must stay during issue to OR (not just frozen). Our previous coolers all failed validation for temps that low. I am sure the cubes will do the job but they are about the size of a large blood box and weigh over 30 lbs. Does anyone have a good system for transporting them to (an into) the OR that doesn't break backs and maintains the cleanliness standards of the OR? We are thinking of using a small hand-truck with a blood box permanently attached to make it higher for lifting the credo cube off onto a cart they keep in the OR central core, but I am open to better ideas.

[Todd Flanagan]

Content removed by admin.

The original post is five years old, and the last response was four months ago.

Please don't advertise in the forums.