USE OF SINGLE-DONOR PLATELETS

Advances in apheresis technology have made single donor platelets easi er to obtain and therefore more plentiful. There are some hypothesized advantages to single donor platelets including reduced disease transm ission, reduced alloimmunization, and superior function and storage ch aracteristics, These ideas have swayed some to insist that single dono r platelets should become the routine platelet transfusion component. While support exists for some of these benefits, there is no consensus that the risks to donors, the difficulties of setting up a program, a nd the expenses are sufficiently outweighed that the conversion of blo od banks to a single donor platelet supply is merited. The major advan tage to single donor platelets is that the selection of certain donor characteristics, such as HLA compatibility, is facilitated since a tot al dose of platelets is coming from one donor.