Irradiating blood products for mod size hospital

[ChrisH]

Currently our cancer center uses their linear accelerators to irradiate our products, but they want us to investigate another methods.  In the last 2 years we have irradiated less than 340 products per year.  So I think getting an irradiator would be to cost prohibitive.  But I still need to know what is out there.  I have seen Nordion mentioned, but when I go to their site I can not find a blood irradiator. 

Edited January 11, 2016 by ChrisH

[DPruden]

I would try to convince the cancer center to keep using the LINACs!!  You are probably looking at $300,000, or somewhere around there, and all kinds of obnoxious security requirements.  Try Best Theratronics or JL Shepherd for pricing.

[rravkin@aol.com]

18 hours ago, ChrisH said:

Currently our cancer center uses their linear accelerators to irradiate our products, but they want us to investigate another methods.  In the last 2 years we have irradiated less than 340 products per year.  So I think getting an irradiator would be to cost prohibitive.  But I still need to know what is out there.  I have seen Nordion mentioned, but when I go to their site I can not find a blood irradiator. 

Chris, I am not understanding why you are not ordering Irradiated products, upon need, from your blood product supplier?

Edited January 12, 2016 by rravkin@aol.com

[MAGNUM]

We order our irradiated products from our blood supplier as needed. I don't relish the government running around here.

 

[tbostock]

We keep an inventory of irradiated products sent by our blood supplier for our infusion center patients who require it.  Much easier.

[AMcCord]

We also stock our irradiated products from our supplier. I prefer not to be inspected by the FDA and any regulator body that deals with the irradiation security issues.

[Emelie]

We are our own blood suppliers and we too cooperate with our hospital's irradiation center to irradiate blood products. If they weren't able to accomodate our demand we might switch to pathogen inactivation, such as Intercept, for the platelets and hope the irradiation center are willing to handle the smaller amount of RBC's.

[ChrisH]

We do NOT want to irradiate our own products.  We were asked to look into the pricing.  We keep irradiated RBC, but the Plt are not and most of the time it takes to long to get the product from our blood supplier.

 

[tricore]

11 hours ago, Emelie said:

We are our own blood suppliers and we too cooperate with our hospital's irradiation center to irradiate blood products. If they weren't able to accomodate our demand we might switch to pathogen inactivation, such as Intercept, for the platelets and hope the irradiation center are willing to handle the smaller amount of RBC's.

I am missing something. What does pathogen inactivation have to do with irradiation? As a substitute?

[Marianne]

If you really need to irradiate in house, you might look at an x-ray based instrument. I think Radsure makes one and they no longer require a water source.  You really don't want to get into what it takes today to bring in a gammacell irradiator.  Special room requirements, eye recognition to get in the room, cameras everywhere and regulation and inspection by the NRC.

 

[Emelie]

Tricore; yes, in Sweden many larger hospitals use PI instead of irradiation when preparing platelets, the methods are equivalent. In moderately sized hospitals it's more convenient and cost efficient to irradiate the (rather few) components needed at the irradiation center instead.

[jayinsat]

17 hours ago, tricore said:

I am missing something. What does pathogen inactivation have to do with irradiation? As a substitute?

Tricore, pathogen inactivation alters the DNA of pathogens AND lymphocytes, which greatly decreases the probability of Graft v Host.  It has become an acceptable alternative to irradiated platelets.

[tricore]

 Sorry, I mssed that part when the system was first introduced.