It’s all about the temperature 

Platelets are versatile. They can prevent bleeding, or treat active bleeding, and are given to people with cancer, undergoing surgery, or used in trauma care. But they have a downside too. Right now, we can only store platelets for seven days at room temperature. This short shelf-life can lead to wastage and supply chain challenges. So, what if we changed the temperature we store platelets at?  

We ran a large clinical trial called CLIP-II, which compared cryopreserved (frozen) platelets with room temperature platelets for treating bleeding in people undergoing complex cardiac surgery. The trial was run entirely in Australia, and all platelets were manufactured by R&D in our Sydney Processing Centre. In CLIP-II we found that there was no statistical difference in the amount of blood lost when frozen stored or room temperature stored platelets were used in the first 24 hours after surgery. However, there was more blood loss overall when using platelets that had been stored frozen. This means that in a hypothetical scenario where a hospital has a choice between giving platelets that have been stored frozen or at room temperature to an actively bleeding patient, room temperature stored platelets would be used. Frozen stored platelets would be an effective choice when fresh ones aren’t available. It’s a situation the Australian Defence Force often find themselves in and is partly why we’ve been collaborating with them since 2010.  

We’re not the only ones asking questions about platelet storage temperatures. Lifeblood was the only non-US contributor to a clinical trial called CHIPS, which compared cold-stored platelets with room temperature platelets for the treatment of bleeding in patients undergoing complex cardiac surgery. Once the trial analysis is complete, we’ll consider if cold-stored platelets are right for Australia.  

Our platelet research program is ongoing. For each question we answer, more pop up. We’ve shown that platelets can be stored frozen for up to four years, or cold-stored for 21 days. But what’s the best way to store them, or to transport them? What might the future of platelet inventory management look like if we had all three storage options available? Ultimately, we want to always supply the right platelet, to the right patient, at the right time.