Platelet transfusion therapy

The relative merits of apheresis platelets and platelet concentrates are undergoing debate due to evolving issues of safety, inventory, and cost. The application of photochemical inactivation technology may eliminate any rationale for the use of apheresis platelets rather than pooled platelet concentrates, so that the relative merits of these two alternatives will be debated over costs and inventory. Doses of apheresis platelets are determined by donor platelet count and by platelet yield. The generation of a platelet apheresis inventory has been accompanied by a decline in whole blood inventory; research into the impact of these distinct donor pools on national blood policy is needed.