Pathogen-reduced platelets may be an attractive option in the near future, but how do hospitals get started? Dr. Pat Kopko shares UCSD’s solution!
NOTE: Continuing Education credit for this episode has expired. See below for details.
Dr. Pat Kopko
“Pathogen-reduced Platelets? Already Got Them!”
Dr. Pat Kopko and her team at the University of California-San Diego are well ahead of the curve, as they implemented pathogen-reduced platelets (PR-platelets) in their hospital WAY back in 2017! Along the way, UCSD and their blood supplier (American Red Cross) had to answer many difficult questions and make many decisions (Why can’t we just “flip a switch” and go from zero to 100% with PR-platelet supply? If we can’t get to 100% right away, which patients get them first? And many more…). Pat documented this entire process in a terrific article (see link below), and she joins me to describe lessons learned, with an eye toward where this all fits with the recent guidance.
Dr. Pat Kopko
“Pathogen-reduced Platelets? Already Got Them!”
Dr. Pat Kopko and her team at the University of California-San Diego are well ahead of the curve, as they implemented pathogen-reduced platelets (PR-platelets) in their hospital WAY back in 2017! Along the way, UCSD and their blood supplier (American Red Cross) had to answer many difficult questions and make many decisions (Why can’t we just “flip a switch” and go from zero to 100% with PR-platelet supply? If we can’t get to 100% right away, which patients get them first? And many more…). Pat documented this entire process in a terrific article (see link below), and she joins me to describe lessons learned, with an eye toward where this all fits with the recent guidance.
About My Guest:
Dr. Pat Kopko is a graduate of the Loma Linda University School of Medicine in Loma Linda, CA. She did a residency in anatomic and clinical pathology at Loma Linda, followed by a transfusion medicine fellowship at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Kopko is a Professor of Pathology at the University of California, San Diego, where she serves as Director of Transfusion Medicine and Associate Director of the Immunogenetics and Transplantation Laboratory. Her research interests center around transfusion reactions, particularly Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI), currently the leading cause of transfusion-related mortality in the United States. Dr. Kopko has published extensively on TRALI and other topics, including platelet refractoriness, transfusion in ABO-incompatible HPC transplantation, and blood transfusion practices.
Continuing Education Expired
This podcast episode offered continuing education credit for two years from its release date, but is no longer eligible for such credit.
To find Blood Bank Guy Essentials Podcast episodes with active continuing education opportunities, Click here or visit Transfusion News Continuing Education on Wiley Health Learning.
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed on this episode are those of my guest and I alone, and do not reflect those of the organizations with which either of us is affiliated. Neither Dr. Kopko nor I have any relevant financial disclosures.
Further Reading:
- Dr. Kopko’s paper on implementing PR-platelets at UCSD (Open access!): Allen ES, Vincent C, Reeve DA, and Kopko PM. Phased implementation of pathogen‐reduced platelets in a health system facilitates increased manufacturing at the blood center. Transfusion 2019.
- Paper Dr. Kopko referenced illustrating patient groups at risk for septic reactions: Hong H et al. Detection of septic transfusion reactions to platelet transfusions by active and passive surveillance. Blood 2016;127(4):496-502.
- FDA Guidance document on bacterial risk control: United States Food and Drug Administration. Bacterial Risk Control Strategies for Blood Collection Establishments and Transfusion Services to enhance the Safety and Availability of Platelets for Transfusion. September 30, 2019.
Thanks to:
- Dr. Daniela Hermelin, Assistant Editor; Follow Daniela on Twitter for fantastic #blooducation!
- Samantha Chaffin, Design and content consultant
Music Credit
Music for this episode includes “Cuando te invade el temor” and “Reflejo,” both by Mar Virtual via the Free Music Archive. Click the image below for permissions and license details.
Hi Dr. Chaffin,
I was wondering if UC San Diego and Tucson both receive products from Pamona, Ca. We are in the beginning stages of implementation of PR platelets.
Thanks,
Velvet
With respect, Velvet, I can’t comment on which supplier is supplying which facility from which collection site, largely because I don’t know for sure (but more importantly, this isn’t the forum for that discussion). You can certainly contact the facilities you mention directly to see if they will share that info.
-Joe
Hi, Joe! I hope things are well with you. I love Life Stream’s YouTube channel and your podcasts as well. Thanks for talking by phone last year. I’m a “Grannies” and platelet donor. I try to learn between donations. Did you know I even knit for my blodo collection center. lol! We have two different knitting collections, believe it or not. (Long story!)
All my best wishes, sir.