Collection And Storage Of Blood Components

General Principles Of Blood Collection

Whole Blood Collection

• Primary method for obtaining red blood cells (85% of total RBC supply).
• Extract approximately 450-500 mL whole blood per donation.
• Collect into bags containing preset anticoagulant-preservative mixtures.
• Centrifuge whole blood to separate into distinct components: RBCs, platelets, and plasma.
• Utilize platelet-rich plasma method or buffy coat method for separation.
• Pool 4-6 units of whole blood-derived platelet concentrates to yield single therapeutic platelet unit.

Apheresis Collection

• Process of separating specific components via centrifugation or filtration; return remainder to donor.
• Primary method for collecting platelets and plasma (90% of supply).
• Yields single or double RBC units.
• Yields single, double, or triple platelet or plasma units.
• Allows concurrent collection of varied components (e.g., 1 RBC unit + 1 plasma unit).

Anticoagulants And Preservative Solutions

• Anticoagulant-preservative mixtures dictate component shelf life, particularly for RBCs.
• 21-Day Shelf Life:
  • Acid-citrate-dextrose (ACD).
  • Citrate-phosphate-dextrose (CPD).
  • Citrate-phosphate-dextrose-dextrose (CP2D).
• 35-Day Shelf Life:
  • Citrate-phosphate-dextrose-adenine (CPDA-1).
• 42-Day Shelf Life (Additive Solutions):
  • Require integration of additive solutions (AS-1, AS-3, AS-5).
  • Constituents include mannitol, adenine, sodium chloride, dextrose.

Specific Blood Component Parameters

Characteristics And Storage Of Components

Component	Constituents	Collection Method	Storage Parameters	Shelf Life	Volume Per Unit
Red Blood Cells (RBC)	RBCs	Whole blood or Apheresis	4°C	Up to 35-42 days (based on preservative)	~300 mL
Random Donor Platelets (RDP)	Platelets ($\ge 5.5\times 10^{10}$ per bag)	Whole blood (soft spin followed by hard spin)	20°C-24°C with continuous agitation	5-7 days	~50 mL
Single Donor Platelets (SDP)	Platelets ($\ge 3\times 10^{11}$ per bag)	Apheresis	20°C-24°C with continuous agitation	5-7 days	~300 mL
Plasma (FFP/F24)	Coagulation factors, fibrinogen, proteins C/S, antithrombin, albumin, immunoglobulins	Apheresis or Whole blood	$\le -18^{\circ }$C	Up to 12 months	~200 mL
Cryoprecipitate	Fibrinogen (150 mg), Factor VIII (80-120 U), Factor XIII, vWF, fibronectin	Derived from thawed plasma	$\le -18^{\circ }$C	Up to 12 months	~20 mL
Granulocytes	Neutrophils ($1-8\times 10^{10}$ per dose)	Apheresis	4°C or Room Temperature	24 hours	Variable
Whole Blood	RBCs, platelets, plasma	Whole blood collection	4°C	35 days	~500 mL

Specialized Component Processing Details

Plasma Preparation

• Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP): Freeze within 8 hours of collection.
• F24 Plasma: Freeze within 24 hours of collection.
• Thaw prior to administration; post-thaw storage permitted at 1°C-6°C for 1-5 days.

Cryoprecipitate Preparation

• Thaw plasma to 4°C for 24 hours.
• Isolate resulting insoluble precipitate.
• Refreeze precipitate immediately for storage.

Granulocyte Preparation

• Stimulate donors 12-18 hours pre-collection with oral corticosteroids +/- granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF).
• Enhances demargination; improves collection yield.
• ABO crossmatch mandatory due to significant RBC contamination in product.

Post-Collection Modifications Impacting Storage

Leukoreduction

• Filter components prior to storage.
• Remove white blood cells to prevent febrile nonhemolytic reactions, HLA alloimmunization, and CMV transmission.
• Ensure $\ge 85$ original RBC mass remains.
• Maximum residual leukocyte count: $<5\times 10^6$ WBCs per unit.

Irradiation

• Expose components to 25-50 Gray radiation (X-rays or gamma rays via cesium/cobalt source).
• Cross-link T-lymphocyte DNA to halt replication; prevents Transfusion-Associated Graft-Versus-Host Disease (TA-GVHD).
• Perform prior to component issue.
• Accelerates in vitro RBC hemolysis; monitor for hyperkalemia due to intracellular leakage.

Washing

• Remove plasma, plasma proteins, and anticoagulant-preservative solutions.
• Resuspend cellular elements in normal saline.
• Prevents anaphylactic reactions (e.g., IgA deficiency) and reduces metabolic toxicities in neonates.
• Compromises closed system integrity; severely restricts shelf life.
• Washed RBCs expire within 24 hours.
• Washed platelets expire within 4 hours.

Volume Reduction

• Centrifuge components to extract supernatant plasma.
• Yields concentrated product; crucial for neonates susceptible to fluid overload.
• Conducted within closed system; maintains original component expiration date.

Sterile Docking (Aliquoting)

• Redistribute single donor unit into multiple smaller aliquots.
• Employs sterile connecting devices to preserve closed system.
• Retains original expiration date of parent unit.
• Limits pediatric donor exposure.

Pathogen Inactivation

• Add psoralen to component; activate via ultraviolet radiation exposure.
• Damage pathogen nucleic acids (bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa); prevent replication.
• Approved primarily for platelet components in the US.