Rapid dry plasma thawing system: An alternative to conventional thawing baths

Abstract

BACKGROUND:Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) should be thawed before transfusing to the patient. Prolonged or uncontrolled thawing can denature plasma proteins. The potential risk of contamination by wet thawing had always been a point of concern.AIMS:Here, we compared and evaluated the effect of thawing on clotting factor activities by two different methods (wet and dry) and other factors such as risk of bacterial contamination, throughput, turnaround time, and efficacy of thawing.SUBJECTS AND METHODS:All FFPs were prepared from Group O donors and stored at −40°C. Twenty-one FFPs were thawed in Plasmatherm II at 45°C for 15 min and another 21 were thawed in thawing bath at 37°C for 20–30 min randomly. Analysis of prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, and factor VIII was done in ACL TOP 300 (IL) at the time of preparation and immediately after thawing of FFPs. Volume, duration of thawing, ease of use, accessibility, and equipment maintenance were also compared.RESULTS:There was a statistically significant difference in coagulation parameters after thawing in both methods compared to the time of preparation (P < 0.05), but all values were within normal limits. There was no significant difference in coagulation parameters between the two methods (P > 0.05). Mixed bacterial growth was observed from swabs taken from the water bath.CONCLUSION:Plasmatherm II can be a good alternative to water bath to rapidly thaw FFPs by preserving coagulation factors and eliminating the risk of bacterial contamination.

Freezing Technology: Control of Freezing, Thawing, and Ice Nucleation

“…The most commonly used thawing procedure is direct immersion of the frozen sample container in a warmed water bath (37 C), which produces rapid thawing. Dry thawing systems have also been developed in response to constraints imposed by current cleanroom procedures and clinical practice [10][11][12].…”

Outbreaks of healthcare-associated infections linked to water-containing hospital equipment: a literature review

“…There have also been suggestions to replace all water baths for heating of blood components by dry systems such as dry heating incubators to reduce the risk of microbial contamination [ 77 , 80 ] (see Table 8 ).…”

Field‐expedient thawing of fresh‐frozen plasma

“…Alternatives to frozen product exist (or are on the horizon), including liquid, never‐frozen plasma, dried plasma, and whole blood, but FFP remains the most commonly available version due to its cost effectiveness and long shelf life. Additionally, multiple alternatives to water bath thawing have been developed or are under investigation for clinical usage . It remains to be seen if any of these will present as superior solutions for austere environments, but it should be noted that, even as far back as the 1970s, microwave ovens were investigated as possible rapid thawing alternatives with only minor denaturing effects observed …”

“…Additionally, multiple alternatives to water bath thawing have been developed or are under investigation for clinical usage. [10][11][12] It remains to be seen if any of these will present as superior solutions for austere environments, but it should be noted that, even as far back as the 1970s, microwave ovens were investigated as possible rapid thawing alternatives with only minor denaturing effects observed. [13][14][15] This study was based on the premise that frozen plasma should be made available as soon as possible and thawed using limited resources.…”