Temperature course and distribution during plasma heating with a microwave device

Abstract

SummaryIn spite of the much shorter thawing times, the use of microwave devices for heating units of fresh frozen plasma is still being discussed. Concerns about general and localised overheating are the main arguments against the use of microwave devices. We evaluated the warming of fresh frozen plasma using the recently introduced Transfusio-therm 2000Ò microwave blood warmer. Units of fresh frozen plasma were weighed and the heating times were recorded. The surface temperature of the fresh frozen plasma bags during heating was recorded every 10 s. Temperature variation on the surface was examined by measuring the difference between peripheral and centrally placed temperature sensors. After heating, plasma temperature was determined using a calibrated thermometer. There were no signs of overheating during the heating process. The surface temperature of three units of fresh frozen plasma heated simultaneously (n ¼ 45) was 34.0°C (SD, 1.5°C) after a mean heating time of 23.2 min (SD, 1.1 min). The mean (SD) temperature difference was )0.6 (0.5)°C and the mean (SD) plasma temperature was 33.6 (0.8)°C. Heating one fresh frozen plasma unit at a time (n ¼ 20), the mean (SD) heating time was 6.3 (0.4) min. The surface temperature after heating was 34.3 (0.2)°C, the mean (SD) temperature difference was )0.6 (0.4)°C and the mean (SD) plasma temperature after heating 33.1 (0.6)°C. We conclude that no general or localised overheating of fresh frozen plasma occurs during or after heating with the microwave blood warmer.

A biochemical quality study of a pharmaceutically licenced coagulation active plasma (Octaplas®) thawed by the SAHARA‐III dry tempering system compared to the regular use of a water bath

“…The phenomenon ‘local overheating’ is solely the responsibility of the oven producer and can lead to the denaturation of plasma proteins (mainly albumin and fibrinogen). Hirsch and co‐workers [9] evaluated the warming of single‐donor FFP units using the Transfusio‐therm 2000 microwave blood warmer from Zeipel medical (Heiligenstadt, Germany) and obtained no signs of overheating during the thawing process. Beck and co‐workers [10] investigated the suitability of the same microwave oven for thawing of 30 Octaplas® bags.…”

“…Such equipments include microwave or dry heat ovens. Thawing of plasma products in a microwave oven represents a quick alternative to the water bath, especially in emergency situations [9–12]. Although microwave ovens defrost plasma in 2–3 min, they have the disadvantage of being expensive and of limited capacity.…”

Rapid thawing of fresh‐frozen plasma with radio wave‐based thawing technology and effects on coagulation factors during prolonged storage at 4°C

“…With traditional techniques, such as heated air and waterbath methods, the thawing time for FFP is about 20–30 min. Trials with the microwave technique for blood components were carried out in the 1970s [5], but the use declined due to reports of overheating and generation of hot spots [6], even though attempts have recently been made to overcome these obstacles [7]. An alternative to microwave heating is the radio frequency (RF) heating technique.…”

International Normalised Ratio Normalisation in Patients with Coumarin-Related Intracranial Haemorrhages – the INCH Trial: A Randomised Controlled Multicentre Trial to Compare Safety and Preliminary Efficacy of Fresh Frozen Plasma and Prothrombin Complex – Study Design and Protocol

“…However, this difference disappeared when only those patients in whom normalisation appeared within two‐hours were compared (30). Furthermore, it is principally possible to start infusion of FFPs within 15‐min if modern thawing techniques are used (34, 35).…”