Does anyone use or know of an acceptable substitute for wet ice when transporting whole blood in coolers from mobile drives to the component processing lab. The blood is centrifuged at room temp and is not for platelet production?

We use hard-sided gel packs that are frozen before use. They are placed in the coolers when the mobile leaves the main site with a plastic divider so that the blood does not come in direct contact with the frozen surface.

Of course, you will need to validate whatever method you use.

One thing to remember with gel packs is that they need at least 24 hours to cool fully, so any used packs must be quarantined (we do for 48h) to allow them to become cold enough. We found that if they are just cooled for 6 hours they do not keep their temperature.

Or boxes are validated for 12 hours with 2 packs below, one to each side and one above, for up to 6 units. For every unit less than 6 a cool pack needs to be added to eliminate the dead space.

Does anyone use or know of an acceptable substitute for wet ice when transporting whole blood in coolers from mobile drives to the component processing lab. The blood is centrifuged at room temp and is not for platelet production?

Hi John, during your drives how long would the whole blood stay at room temperature after the first draw if you did not cool it?

Merry Christmas!!!!

Our longest drives are typically 6 hours but for these we often ship blood back by courier about halfway through the drive. Then all blood is processed and stored in the refrigerator within 8 hours of the draw time.

Ok great thanks

John

What if you kept them at room temperature since the units reach the Blood Bank and get processed within 8 hours?

What do you use to make components? An Atreus or manually? If manually, how large is the centrifuge(s) that you use? and how many units do you draw on an average at the drives?

We use manual methods (Sorvall RC3BP) and draw about 20-25 units a day. The standard says to cool continously towards 1-10 degrees (no plt production). Does this not apply if red cells are refrigerated within 8 hours anyway????

Thanks,

John

"Whole Blood Storage: 1-6 C. If intended for room temperature components, then store at 1-6 C within 8 hours". "Whole Blood Transport: Cooling toward 1-10 C. If intended for room temperature components, cooling toward 20-24 C"

So, you have 8 hours after the draw to store at 1-6 C. The unit doesn't know if you will remove the platelets so it doesn't harm either way.

HOWEVER: Regulatory and quality requirements dictate the postcollection temperature and time in which the blood must be transported.

"..... Some centers use cooling plates that provide rate-controlled cooling toward 20 C. ..........If platelets will not be prepared the WB is generally placed in a storage environment that contains ice."

You do need to make sure that during those 8 hours you have a temp between: 20-24 C.

So, final verdict: although I check the temperature and I do not use any cooling device as I am within the 8 hours and its winter and my temp is 20-24C Q-Controlled: I know that you would be more comfortable going for the temp controlled cooling plates for 1-10C or 20-24C. and have a Happy New Year!!