BACKGROUND The short shelf‐life of fresh platelets limits their efficient inventory management and availability during a massive transfusion protocol. Risk of insufficient availability can be mitigated by building an inventory of cryopreserved platelets (CPs). METHODS A comparative study of fresh apheresis platelets (FAPs) and CPs was performed. Type‐O CPs were processed with DMSO frozen at −80°C and reconstituted in thawed AB plasma. All patients enrolled in the study had the following parameters evaluated on admission: vital signs (body temperature, heart rate, mean arterial pressure), blood count, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen level, and, in trauma patients, international severity score. Several outcomes were evaluated: 30‐day survival, adverse events, quantity of administered blood products, fibrinogen concentrate and thromboxane (TXA), and laboratory parameters after transfusion (blood count, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen level). RESULTS Twenty‐five (25) patients in the study group received transfusions totaling 81 units of CPs. Twenty‐one (21) patients in the control group received a total of 67 units of FAPs. There were no significant differences in patient characteristics (p > 0.05) between groups. Both groups were comparable in clinical outcomes (30‐day survival, administered blood products, fibrinogen concentrate, TXA, and adverse events). Among posttransfusion laboratory parameters, platelet count was higher in the group transfused with FAPs (97.0 ×109/L) than in the group transfused with CPs (41.5 ×109/L), p = 0.02025. Other parameters were comparable in both groups. CONCLUSION The study suggests that CPs are tolerable and a feasible alternative to FAPs. However, larger randomized studies are needed to draw definitive conclusions.

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Background: Pathogen reduction technology (PRT) may improve the safety of RBCs for transfusion. As the Czech Republic considers PRT, we asked what effects riboflavin and UV light PRT pre-freezing has on the post-thaw recovery and properties of cryopreserved RBCs (CRBCs) after deglycerolization and liquid storage. Study Design and Methods: 24 Group O whole blood (WB) units were leukoreduced and then treated with riboflavin and UV light PRT (Mirasol, Terumo BCT, USA) before cryopreservation (T-CRBC); 20 similarly-collected units were untreated controls (C-CRBC). Units were processed to RBCs and then cryopreserved with 40% glycerol (wt/vol), frozen at À80°C, stored >118 days, reconstituted as deglycerolized RBC units in AS-3, and stored at 4 ± 2°C for 21 days. One treated unit sustained massive hemolysis during the post-thaw wash process and was removed from data analysis. The remaining units were assessed pre-PRT, post-PRT, and post-thaw-wash on days 0, 7, 14, and 21 for hematocrit, volume, hemoglobin per transfusion unit, pH, %