Blood Products

Types of Blood products available

Whole fresh blood is commonly used in general practice and administered straight away to the patient. Additionally whole bood can be stored or separated into various blood components for example, Packed red blood cells, plasma and platelet rich concentrates. Blood components are very useful as they reduce the number of transfusions necessary and also replace specific losses.

Fresh Whole Blood (FWB)can be collected from a healthy donor and combined with anticoagulant which can then be used for up to 8 hours. Whole blood contains all blood components which are Red blood cells, Platelets, White blood cells, Coagulation factors and plasma proteins. This is indicated for for dogs and cats suffering from anaemia, thrombocytopaenia or a coagulopathy with active bleeding.

Stored whole blood (SWB) If WHB is collected and correctly stored it can be used for up to 28 days. It can be used for patients requiring red blood cells and plasma proteins as the other components will no longer be viable. This can be used to treat anaemic patients who are hypovolaemic.

Packed Red Blood Cells containing only red blood cells are given to patients suffering from anaemia but who are normovolaemic to provide additional oxygen carrying cells.

Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP) contains coagulation factors and plasma proteins. It can be stored at -20 oC for up to a year. Its use is indicated in patients with Von Willebrand's disease, Haemophilia A ad B, Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation, other coagulation factor deficiencies, hypoproteinaemia, acute pancreatitis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome.

Stored Frozen Plasma is FFP that has been thawed and refrozen or FFP which is older than a yer old. It can be administered in patients with hypoproteinaemia but will have lost many of its coagulation factors and hence cannot be administered for coagulopathies.

Platelet Rich Plasma

Cryoprecipitate

Oxyglobin