Week 3 - Blood Components And Products

Question 1

What are the different components of blood?

Answer 1

Plasma
Platelets
Red blood cells
Granulocytes
Cryoprecipitate

Question 2

General information

Answer 2

Once blood is collected it can be homogenised, centrifuged and fractionated to separate the blood components to store them separately.

Question 3

What is the use of red blood cells once taken from an individual and stored?

Answer 3

They are used to replace lost red blood cells from anaemia

Question 4

How should red blood cells be stored?

Answer 4

Temperature: 2 - 6 degrees celsius
Storage time: normally between 28 - 49 days.
NHSBT - 35 days
Irradiated red cells - 14 days after irradiation date
Cells for neonatal exchange - 24 hours from prep
washed red cells - 14 days

Can leave fridge for around 30 mins and returned within 30 mins

Question 5

What is the use of granulocytes once taken from a donor and stored?

Answer 5

Used for patients with life threatening tissue/organ infection

Must be irradiated due to high risk of white cell engraftment

Question 6

How should be granulocytes be stored?

Answer 6

Temperature: 20 - 24 degrees celsius
Storage time: 24 hours from preparation

Question 7

What is the use of platelets once taken from the donor and stored?

Answer 7

Used for to treat patients with a low platelet count.

Question 8

How are platelets stored?

Answer 8

Temperature: 20 - 24 degrees celsius
Storage time: can be stored for 5-7 days
Need to be agitated so they are continuously oxygenated

Can leave storage fir upto 30 mins

Question 9

What is the use of fresh frozen plasma once taken from the donor and stored?

Answer 9

It is used to treat and prevent bleeding caused by clotting factor deficiencies like liver disease etc

Question 10

What is the use of cryoprecipitate

Answer 10

It is made by thawing fresh frozen plasma at 4 degrees celsius which produces a cryoglobulin containing lots of fibrinogen, VW factor

Used to treat bleeding associated causing low fibrinogen

Question 11

How should fresh frozen plasma and cryoprecipitate be stored?

Answer 11

Temperature: below -25 degrees celsius
Storage time: up to 36 months.
Once thawed can be stored for 24 hours at 2 - 6 degrees celsius

Question 12

What is a plasma derivative?

Answer 12

Medicinal products that are made from human plasma donations

Question 13

Learn the rest of the slides on blood products

Question 14

What changes occur in red blood cells when stored?

Answer 14

1. Sodium/potassium pump immobilised (decrease in potassium, increase in sodium)
2. glucose levels decline
3. acidosis due to low ph levels.
4. oxidative stress, osmotic fragility

Question 15

What does gamma radiation do to stored red blood cells?

Answer 15

Exacerbate storage lesions, so abcs have a shorter expiry date.

Question 16

As blood clots quite quickly when take from an individual, what is used to help stop this?

Answer 16

A sterile anticoagulant called citrate phosphate dextrose

Question 17

How do the ingredients of citrate phosphate dextrose work to help with anti coagulation of whole blood?

Answer 17

Citrate - works as the anticoagulant by removing calcium ions

Phosphate - counteracts the loss of phosphate during storage

Dextrose - prevents the loss of ATP

Question 18

What else is added to stored red blood cells to help combat the effects of storage?

Answer 18

Saline Adenine Glucose (SAG)

Question 19

How do the ingredients of Saline Adenine Glucose (SAG) help to combat the effects of storage on rbcs?

Answer 19

Saline - maintains volume and osmolarity

Adenine - cell shape restoration, maintains ATP concentration and viability

Glucose - prevents the loss of ATP to enable longer storage of rbcs

Question 20

What else can be used to help elongate storage of rbcs?

Answer 20

Mannitol added into SAG.
Helps protect the nbc membrane ad helps to reduce haemolysis

Question 21

What are the special requirements of transfusion

Answer 21

1. Leucodepletion
2. Irradiated
3. Phenotyped
4. Fresh blood
5. cytomegalovirus (CMV negative)

Question 22

Describe leucodepletion

Answer 22

1. Helps to inhibit the immune response to prevent transfusion reactions
2. Reduces CMV transmission
3. Is done by filtration to selectively retain white blood cells

Question 23

Describe irradiation?

Answer 23

???

Question 24

Describe phenotyped as a special requirement

Answer 24

Used to prevent severe transfusion reactions in patients with alloantibodies.

Also used for patients who are transfusion dependent (sickle cell, beta thallasaemia), women of child bearing age

Question 25

Describe fresh blood as a special requirement

Answer 25

IT is used for patients that may be affected by increased potassium levels, used for patients that are t5ransfusion dependent (sickle cell etc)

Question 26

What are the advantages of electronic issue?

Answer 26

1. avoids delays in transfusion
2. more provision of red cells for transfusion
3. reduction in hands on work

Question 27

What are the disadvantages of electronic issue?

Answer 27

1. Must have a reliable and validated LIMS
2. cannot be done if there is IT failure
   3.

Question 28

Describe traceability in blood transfusion

Answer 28

The ability to trace each unit of blood/component from donor to its final destination

The information is stored for at least 30 years

Question 29

How are blood sample recalled and why?

Answer 29

If a sample is considered to pose a risk to patients, it must be withdrawn

1. identify the fate of suspect components
2. Identify where the components are to be located
3. Quarantine the suspect components