Abstract
During the last 2 years, 93 platelet transfusions have been conducted in 13 cases of acute leukemia with marked bleeding tendency due to thrombocytopenia.
Soon after the infusion of Ringer solution into the donor being started, whole blood was collected by 500 to 600 gm at one time into a plastic blood-bag containing ACD solution as an anticoagulant. The whole blood was then centrifuged at 1,100 rpm for 15 minutes in order to separate the platelet-rich plasma (PRP) from the packed red cell. The PRP was transferred into another plastic bag. In the event that the platelet concentrate (PC) was preferred, the PRP was further centrifuged at 2,400 rpm for 30 minutes and the supernatant platelet-poor plasma (PPP) was removed. The PRP or PC thus obtained was immediately administered into the leukemic patients. The packed red cell and the PPP were transfused back into the donor before the second blood collection was started. Consequently, either PRP or PC separated from 1,000 to 1,500 gm (2 or 3 bags) of whole blood could be obtained within a few hours from a single donor quite safely and with relative ease. No serious side effects were observed on the donors except a slight transient decrease in serum protein. The mean content of the PRP or PC was about 60 per cent of the platelet count in the whole blood, and the total platelet suspension obtained from a single donor contained 1.95×1011 platelets. After the platelet transfusions, 2 out of the 12 cases (16.7 per cent) died of bleeding, whereas out of the other 60 cases of leukemia to whom the platelet transfusions were not conducted, 30 (50 per cent) died of bleeding.
In summary, it may be said that platelet transfusions are effective in the control of hemorrhage due to thrombocytopenia in leukemic patients.
