Liquid Plasma: A New Component at Carter BloodCare

by G. Paranjape, M.D. Medical Director of Clinical Services, Carter BloodCare

Liquid plasma is a plasma product that is never frozen, has an expiration date of 26 days, and is stored at 1-6 0C. Per the Circular of Information, it is indicated for initial treatment of patients undergoing massive transfusion because of life-threatening trauma/hemorrhage and who have clinically significant coagulation deficiencies (as patients with massive bleeding tend to develop). Of note, liquid plasma, unlike fresh frozen plasma (FFP), does have viable lymphocytes and can theoretically cause graft versus host disease in susceptible individuals. However, this should not be an issue in the population for which the product is indicated.

Hospitals dealing with critical trauma patients may prefer to use liquid plasma since it does not require thawing, as does FFP, and reduces time needed to begin transfusing the patient. It will also decrease wastage of less-common type AB units, because if units are ordered and not used, the extended shelf life allows liquid plasma products to be saved easily for future use. Carter BloodCare now has this product available starting January 2017 for interested hospitals. This will be a non-returnable, special order product.

The component will be produced predominantly from blood group A. Major trauma hospitals are already encouraged to use type A in trauma patients with unknown blood type to conserve the AB plasma products for patients with AB blood type. For more information, please contact Hospital Relations representative Veronica Moore.

Reference:

Dunbar NM and Yazer MH. A Possible New Paradigm? A survey-based assessment of the use of thawed group A plasma for trauma resuscitation in United States. Transfusion 2016; 56; 125-129