room temperature platelets

Room temperature platelets are platelet concentrates collected from human donors and stored at 20–24°C (room temperature) with gentle agitation. They are used for transfusion to prevent or treat bleeding in patients with thrombocytopenia or platelet dysfunction. Platelets stored at room temperature remain metabolically active but are prone to bacterial contamination, limiting their shelf life to 5–7 days. The mechanism of action is the direct contribution of functional human platelets to hemostasis by forming clots and stopping bleeding. Room temperature storage maximizes post-transfusion circulation time compared to cold-stored alternatives but increases infection risk[1][3][4][6][7].

Other names

RTProom temperature–stored plateletsconventional platelets