STABILITY OF BLOOD-COAGULATION FACTORS AND INHIBITORS IN BLOOD DRAWN INTO HALF-STRENGTH CITRATE ANTICOAGULANT

Drawing of blood into a citrate-phosphate-dextrose (CPD) solution with a reduced citrate concentration has been shown to improve the mainten ance of coagulation factor VIII (F VIII) in plasma and to give possibi lities to improve erythrocyte preservation. We studied the quality of plasma obtained from whole blood drawn under continuous mixing into CP D in which the citrate concentration was reduced by 50% (0.5CPD). The blood was stored at room temperature for 8 h before component preparat ion. We confirmed improved stability of F VIII by 0.5CPD. We found no clinically significant changes in inhibitors to the coagulation and ka llikrein systems, and no signs of activation of these systems, during the 8-hour holding time. In control blood drawn into CPD, F VIII and c oagulation factor IX decreased by 0.09 IU/ml (8%) and 0.07 U/ml (7%), respectively, otherwise we found no significant differences between 0. 5CPD plasma and CPD plasma.