This document discusses the preparation of blood components from whole blood donations. Whole blood is collected into bags containing anticoagulant solutions, then separated via centrifugation into red blood cells, plasma, platelets, and cryoprecipitate. Each component has specific storage requirements to maintain function. Red cells are stored in additive solutions, platelets within 8 hours, and plasma frozen within 8 or 24 hours becomes fresh frozen plasma or plasma frozen within 24 hours. Components are prepared to specific standards and used to treat various conditions.

1. Blood components and
Preparation
R.Srihari

2. Topics for discussion
• Introduction
• General Principles
• Blood Collection
• Anticoagulant/Preservative Solutions
• Blood Components
• Storage conditions
• Blood Replacement products: Recommended
uses and effects in adults

3. Introduction
• Blood components are those derived from
whole blood collected from normal donors by
phlebotomy –using the technique of
differential centrifugation
• These products are prepared in blood centres
or hospital labs

4. General Principles
• Components of whole blood
– Plasma
– RBCs
– WBCs
– Platelets
– Cryoprecipitate
• They have requirements for optimum storage
and preservation of function

5. • Examples:
– Platelets left in units of red cells at refrigerator
temperatures clump and interact with red cells and
plasma proteins  losing their hemostasis capacity
– Coagulation factors, especially factors V and VIII
are labile even at 4 C

6. • Thus to get maximum benefit from a unit of
donated whole blood- plasma, red cells and
platelets must be seperated from each other and
stored under different temperatures and conditions
• Good manufacturing practices, with which
manufacturers of blood components must comply,
involve careful monitoring of these conditions
and strict adherence to specified quality control
measures

7. • Blood Donors:
– Proper manufacture of blood components begins
with careful recruitment and selection of blood
donors
• 98% - allogenic donors – volunteers
• 1% -autologous donors
• Small amount of blood comes from patients who come
for periodic phlebotomy
• 0.4%- directed donors

8. • Blood collection:
– At donation site , whole blood is collected from
ANTECUBITAL vein after the site has been
cleansed and sanitised with iodine-alcohol
chlorhexidine based solutions
– A clean uncomplicated venipuncture is necessary
for good flow so as to avoid platelet clumping or
fibrin activation

9. • 500 ml is collected in most centres
• It is collected into a plastic bag containing
anticoagulant-preservative solution and should be
gently and regularly mixed with the solution as
the bag fills
• Thus a single whole blood donation can provide 1
unit each of red cells, platelets, cryoprecipitate
and Frozen plasma for transfusion or for further
manufacture into plasma derivatives

10. • Most blood is collected into
– double bags (red cells + plasma)
– Triple bags ( red cells +plasma + platelets)
– Quadruple bags (red cells + plasma +platelets
+plasma factors)
• Whole blood is never used UNMODIFIED

12. Anticoagulant/ Preservative Solutions
• Variety of preservative and anticoagulant
solutions are available – all based on the use of
sodium citrate as anticoagulant
• Till ’80s , the anticoagulant and preservatives
were in a single solution such as ACD or CPD
• Most of the whole blood collected now is
anticoagulated in the initial bag and then modified

13. • As soon as possible but before 72 hours of donation,
red cells are centrifuged and an integrally attached
solution of SALINE + GLUCOSE + ADENINE +
MANNITOL(sometimes) is added to the red cells
• This additive solution results in better viability and
biochemical function of red cells than is achieved with
storage in an anticoagulated solution alone
• Presence of adenine preserves ATP levels providing for
less red cell membrane breakdown and longer red cell
surivival

14. • Platelets, if to be transfused, must be removed and processed within
8 hours of collection
• If plasma is frozen within 8 hours  FFP
• If plasma frozen within 24 hours after phlebotomy  Plasma frozen
within 24 hours (PF24)
• Otherwise the plasma is removed within the 72 hour time period and
sent for fractionation into gamma globulin and albumin
• Plasma used for fractionation of coagulation factors must be of same
quality of FFP or atleast PF24

15. Blood Components
Cellular components
• Red cell concentrate
• Leucocytes-reduced red cells
• Platelet concentrates
• Leucocytes-reduced platelet
concentrates
• Platelet Apheresis
• Granulocytes, Apheresis
Plasma Components
• Fresh frozen plasma
• Single donor plasma
• Cryoprecipitate
• Cryo-poor plasma
Plasma derivatives
• Albumin 5% & 25%
• Plasma protein fractions
• Factor viii concentrate
• Immunoglobulin
• Fibrinogen
• Other coagulation factors

16. } Packed Red Cells
} Buffy Coat
}Plasma
Centrifugation - Principle
Blood cells have different Sedimentation Coefficients

17. Protocol for preparation of Red Cells and FFP
Whole Blood
Soft spin at 4oC
Red cells Plasma
freeze at -30oC
FFP
Within 8 hours

18. • Red cell concentrates:
– In many centres , upto 100 percent of red cells are
subjected to filtration to reduce leukocytes prior to
storage –(LR)  to reduce transfusion reactions
Washed RBCs?

19. • Platelet concentrates:
– Single donor apheresis platelets: (cytapheresis)

20. • The amount of platelets from single donor
apheresis platelets contain a minimum of
30000/microlitre in a volume of about 300 ml
• Equivalent to 4-6 whole blood-derived
concentrates from whole blood donations
• Clinical trials : apheretic platelets vs Platelets
derived from whole blood?

21. Preparation of Platelets from whole blood
Whole blood
Soft spin at 22oC within 8 hrs
Red cells Platelet rich plasma (PRP)
Hard spin at 22oC
Plasma Platelet Conc.

22. • Platelets derived from whole blood:
– Approx. 20% platelet transfusion doses are provided by platelet
concentrates prepared from individual whole blood units within 8 hours
of collection
– These whole blood derived platelet concentrates are administered in
groups of 4-8, sometimes pooled in a single pack prior to transfusion
– Can be LR by use of filters designed esp for platelets
– Following Production of PRPs  they are subjected to hard spin
following which they separate into plasma and platelet concentrate
– Most platelet concentrates contain – 7000 /micro litre in volume of 50
ml

23. • Plasma :
– FFP and PF24 refer to plasma that is separated and
frozen at -18 C within 8 hrs/ 24 hrs of collection of
whole blood and can be stored for 1 year
– Documented deficiencies of Factors V VII XI XIII can
be corrected by FFP/ PF24 though concentrates for
Factors XI and XIII are available
– Thawed plasma, which is FFP and PF24 thawed and
then stored at 1-6 C for 5 days is used routinely

24. • Cryoprecipitate:
– Is a mixture of proteins that do not go back in to solution when
frozen plasma is thawed at 4 C
– If a unit of FFP is allowed to thaw for 24 hours, a milky white
flocculum consisting of several cold insoluble globulins can be
separated from liquid plasma
– Contain Fibrinogen (I), Factor VIII, Factor XIII and Von
Willebrand factor
– Volume -10-15ml
– Refrozen to – 18 C : can be used upto a year

25. Fresh Frozen Plasma
Slow thaw at 4oC
in Cold Room or Hard spin at 4oC
Blood Bank Refrigerator
Cryopoor plasma Cryoprecipitate
Preparation of Cryoprecipitate

26. • WBCs:
– Contain Granulocytes + 20% plasma
• Plasma derivatives:
– Rh immune globulin
– Albumin
– Globulin

29. Thank You