What is your policy for the transfusion of apheresis platelets?

We currently test all group O donors for anti-A and anti-B. We dilute the product 1:200 and test at immediate spin with A and B cells. If the donor tests positive with either cell, we give the product only to group O patients.

Is anyone else out there doing something similar?

We try to ABO match when possible. We do not test the O units for anti-A or -B. If a patient develops a positive direct Coombs due to one of these antibodies, we give them platelets strictly within their type until the direct Coombs clears.

When I took my present job, we were doing this on all plateletpheresis platelets and cryoprecipitate when we were giving these to non Group O recipient. This is not a requirement and is, in my opinion, non valued added when used for adults so we stoppred this practice. We also stopped the practive of doning anti A and anti B titers on O group packed cells going to neonates. Of course in this case we have to do an antiglobulin test for anti-A and anti-B before switching them back to type specific.

We will perform titers if we have a pediatric patient who is non-group O and only group O platelets are available and they can not wait for volume reduction of platelets. The titers are at 1:50 and 1:100

On adult patients we try to give ABO compatible but we give the shortest dated product first. On our neonates they have to be compatible.

We currently are running into very short dated pheresis products due to the new Bacti testing.

We have no requirements for Cryo.

We try to get ABO specific PLA's for adults; if not, we go with what we can get. There is no testing ABO isoagglutinins. We do not do infants.