Platelet Transfusions from Single Donors

As a consequence of the increasingly intensive therapy administered to patients with leukemia and other types of cancer, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of platelet transfusions in the United States in the past five years.1 Most transfusions consist of pooled platelet concentrates prepared from the blood of multiple donors as a byproduct of whole-blood donation. The optimal conditions for platelet separation and storage have been well characterized, and it is quite clear that platelet recovery, survival, and hemostatic effectiveness can be maintained at nearly normal levels for up to 72 hours after collection.2 4 5 More recently, new . . .