Normal Dried Human Plasma from a single donor (designated A. H. P.) is produced by The Blood Plasma Corporation of Japan. It contains no preservative and is not treated with ultraviolet radiation, but it is made from a single donor in order to minimize the chance of serum hepatitis. A. H. P., so produced, loses very little of its antihemophilic properties. A. H. P., as well as normal fresh blood, contains 100% AHF and 100% PTC. However, normal dried plasma and bank blood contain only 40% AHF, but they do contain 100% PTC.
A. H. P. infusion in the treatment of the coagulation defect in hemophilia A, hemophilia B and hemophilia AB produced the same effect as did fresh blood transfusion. The patients' thromboplastic activities were elevated and hemorrhagic symptoms improved.
Since A. H. P. preserves the antihemophilic properties of whole fresh blood, is easily stored, and a large amount may be given at one time, it is more useful than fresh blood for emergencies.
It should be emphasized that the measurement of the whole blood clotting time is valueless as a test for evaluating the therapeutic effectiveness of transfusion of fresh blood or infusion of A. H. P. in hemophilia or hemophilia-like states, because the whole blood clotting time is sometimes transiently prolonged after administration of either agent. However, the prothrombin consumption test and the thromboplastin generation test are valuable; as the prothrombin consumption and thromboplastic activity become normal coinciding with a favorable response in the hemorrhagic symptoms.
