How does your facility address the issue/reissue of thawed plasma? The Tech Manual states "WB, RBCs FFP(after thawing) may be returned to the transfusion service's inventory provided the appropriate temperature has been maintained. Although not stipulated by regulatory or accrediting agencies, studies indicate that these previously refrigerated components will maintain <10 C if not held at ambient temperature for longer than 30 minutes". Our question is, if you thaw plasma and issue it, and it comes back in 30 minutes, how do you address the <10 C when the thawed product was not equilibrated at 1 -6 C before issue? Thanks!

We would probably not accept thawed FFP as acceptable to reissue. You're correct, it is not necessarily cold when it is issued.

Mary you have hit upon the single most asked and never answered question in the world of blood banking. I imagine this thread will get very long and seldom will two answers be the same. I've spent countless hours researching literature to try to find an answer to your question nad never could find anything definitive but there is no shortage of opinions. What it has always boiled down to is what you and/or your medical director is comfortable with.

:pcproblem

Mary,

I agree with John...This is very important question. In our case if we issue one unit ..is always for definite transfusion. Everytime we issue >1 unit is always in cooler. We require to take temp. upon return so.

I vaguely remember years ago of someone being upset with our blood center when we leukodepleted several units Stat for them and immediately shipped them on ice, per their request. Turns out this close-by facility takes temps on arrival, and one was > 10 C.

So much for customer service. Afterwards, we required the units be returned to the refrigerator for at least 1 hr after leukodepletion to make sure it didn't happen again.

If returning issued FFP and meeting <10 C is important for you, do the same and let the patient bleed a little longer ...