washed platelets

Washed platelets are a specialized blood component preparation in which the plasma supernatant is removed and replaced with a sterile solution, typically 0.9% sodium chloride or a platelet additive solution. This process is primarily indicated for patients with a history of severe or recurrent allergic transfusion reactions (such as urticaria or anaphylaxis) and febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reactions that are not prevented by standard leukoreduction. By removing plasma proteins and accumulated biologic response modifiers (BRMs)—including soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1)—washing reduces the immunomodulatory and inflammatory burden of the transfusion. Clinical research, such as the pilot trial by Blumberg et al., suggests that using washed platelets in patients with acute leukemia may improve long-term survival by mitigating transfusion-associated immunosuppression, although this remains an area of active investigation. The preparation involves automated centrifugation and washing steps that result in a loss of approximately 20% of the original platelet yield and a significantly shortened shelf life, typically ranging from 4 to 24 hours.

Other names

plasma-reduced plateletssaline-washed plateletswashed platelet concentrates