Quality of Cryoprecipitate from Thawed Plasma Prepared by Using Modified Circulating Water-bath Method

Quality of Cryoprecipitate Prepared by Thawed Plasma

Abstract

         Cryoprecipitate (CRYO) is a blood component that contains high concentrations of coagulation factor VIII (FVIII), von Willebrand factor, and fibrinogen. It is prepared by thawing fresh frozen plasma (FFP) from blood donors at 1–6°C in a circulating water-bath and then centrifuging it to
collect the precipitate. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the quality of CRYO produced using two different thawing methods: a conventional circulating water-bath (283 units) and a modified circulating water-bath (160 units). The quality of CRYO samples was assessed by measuring the FVIII levels and comparing the results between the two methods using an independent sample t-test. The results showed that the mean±SD of FVIII level in CRYO prepared by the conventional method was 102.22±72.61 IU/unit, whereas those of the modified method was 115.39±31.58 IU/unit. The FVIII concentrations were significantly higher in CRYO using the modified method than the conventional method (p < 0.05). Additionally, the modified method using FFP with a volume ≥ 200 mL also resulted in significantly higher FVIII levels compared to the conventional method (p < 0.05). The circulating water-bath was modified by increasing the water pump rate and using a loose-loading container to separate the FFP bags, preventing them from overlapping during thawing. This modification improved the quality of the CRYO, conforming to both national and international standards, which included a volume of 10–15 mL, absence of abnormal color, intact packaging, mean FVIII content ≥ 70 IU/unit, and fibrinogen ≥ 140 mg/unit. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that the modified method for producing CRYO at Songklanagarind Hospital was appropriate and met the requirement. This method can be used as a guideline for producing high-quality CRYO for patient care.