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Article: Cooling platelets extends shelf life.(Blood Transfusions)
- Article from:
- USA TODAY
- Article date:
- October 1, 2004
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Society for the Advancement of Education. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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An innovative method for treating and chilling blood platelets may prolong their shelf life by a week or more, helping to ease chronic shortages that endanger patients needing transfusions, maintains Karin Hoffmeister of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston. Platelets, the cell fragments in blood that assist clotting, currently are stored at room temperature for a limit of five days. They then must be discarded as their risk of bacterial contamination increases sharply.
Shortages in donated platelet supplies can have serious consequences, because patients awaiting transfusions urgently need them. These individuals typically are bleeding ...