Ann Lab Med.  2021 Jan;41(1):95-100. 10.3343/alm.2021.41.1.95.

Platelet Inventory Management Program: Development and Practical Experience

• Lee HJ
• Oh SH
• Jo SY
• Kim IS

• KMID: 2512738
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3343/alm.2021.41.1.95

Abstract

Background
Patients with ongoing or expected bleeding require platelet (PLT) transfusions; however, owing to the testing required after a blood donation, manufacturing PLT products may take 1.5–2.0 days after a request is made. This supply-demand mismatch leads clinicians to retain spare PLTs for transfusions, leading to increased PLT discard rates. We developed a PLT inventory management program to supply PLTs more efficiently to patients requiring PLT transfusions within the expiration date, while reducing PLT discard rates.
Methods
PLT concentrates (58,863 and 58,357 units) and apheresis products (7,905 and 8,441 units) were analyzed from May 2015 to November 2017 and from December 2017 to January 2020, respectively. We developed a program to manage total PLT inventories and prospective PLT transfusion patients based on blood type, blood product, and remaining period of efficacy; the program facilitates PLT preparation transfer to non-designated patients within the remaining period of efficacy.
Results
The overall PLT concentrate discard rate was 3,254 (2.78%): 1,811 (3.07%) units before and 1,443 units (2.41%) after program application (P < 0.001). The discard rate owing to expiration was reduced from 69 units (3.81%) before to two units (0.14%) after program application (P < 0.001).
Conclusions
This program can guide the allocation of PLT preparations based on the remaining period of efficacy, enabling PLT products to be used before their expiration date and reducing PLT product discard rate.

Keyword

Platelet concentrates; Apheresis; Transfusions; Discard rate; Inventory program; Expiration date

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Screenshot of PLT inventory management program showing (A) the details of the inventory status, (B) the management program for transferring PLT products, and (C) details of each step. Abbreviations: PLT, platelet; SCT, stem cell transplantation; XM, crossmatching.

• 

  Fig. 2 Comparison of PLT age at transfusion according to type of PLT products before and after PLT inventory program application. Abbreviation: PLT, platelet.

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