Prothrombin complex concentrates: an update.

Although the various coagulation factors are present at physiological concentrations in fresh-frozen plasma (FFP) derived from healthy blood donors, some virally inactivated plasma-derived coagulation factor concentrates have been available for many years. These latter products include single coagulation factor concentrates (such as factor VIII concentrates for the treatment of haemophilia A and factor IX concentrate for the treatment of haemophilia B) or the so-called prothrombin complex concentrates (PCC), which are intermediate purity pooled plasma products containing a mixture of vitamin K-dependent proteins1,2. This review will focus on the description of PCC, on their indications and safety. It will not address activated PCC for the treatment of patients with clotting factor inhibitors.