PAS is a buffered salt solution that replaces a portion of the plasma used to store platelets. PAS products have recently been approved for use in the United States. Research suggests that PAS may reduce transfusion reactions, enhance plasma recovery, and improve cell quality.
Here is Dr. Andrew Heaton, who authored an editorial on PAS in the journal Transfusion.
“The platelet additive solutions are supplying nutrients, which are customized for platelet quality the key nutrient being acetate along with buffered salt solutions. So the benefit to the platelet is that of improved metabolism and greater storage shelf life the additive replaces the plasma which contains cytokines that are frequently associated with transfusion reactions.”
Results reported at the AABB Annual Meeting add further evidence on the benefits of PAS. In a multicenter study comparing adverse reactions between platelets stored in the additive solution PAS C and standard plasma suspended platelets, researchers found PAS to be equal or even superior to standard plasma platelets.
Here is Dr. Claudia Cohn, who led the study:
“The percentage of transfusions with adverse reactions were 0.55% made with PAS C versus 1.37% of transfusions with 100% plasma platelets.”
An additional study found that PAS platelet transfusions were associated with fewer allergic transfusion reactions, but also a lower corrected count increment immediately after transfusion. However, corrected count increments were similar by 12-24 hours.
The impact of PAS platelets to reduce transfusion related acute lung injury is unknown.
Implementing PAS could prove beneficial to blood centers, according to Dr. Heaton.
“A significant advantage of PAS for the blood centers is the capacity of the blood center to harvest extra plasma in addition to the platelets.
A recent analysis published in the journal Transfusion evaluated the financial implications of PAS storage. According to Dr. Heaton, this analysis could help hospitals place PAS in an economic context.
“The Kacker studies identified the potential in cost-benefit and they then quantified these in a logical way. I think the combination of three studies will drive a generational change in platelet storage; similar to that which occurred with red cell additives”
We’ll be back with another edition of Transfusion News on November 30th. Thanks for joining us.
References
Transfusion offers CME credit for this study! Log on at www.wileyhealthlearning.com/trf.
