Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Canine frozen plasma still helps blood clot after 5 years storage
By Urban, R et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2013·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of hemostatic activity of canine frozen plasma for transfusion by thromboelastography.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that frozen plasma from dogs, even after being stored for five years, still has some ability to help with blood clotting. Researchers tested both fresh plasma and older frozen plasma and discovered that while the older plasma had some reduced clotting factors, it still showed signs of being effective. This means that using older frozen plasma could be a cost-effective option for treating dogs with bleeding disorders. However, it's important for veterinarians to evaluate its effectiveness in individual cases.
People also search for: dog blood clotting treatment · frozen plasma for dogs · coagulopathy in dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In humans, fresh frozen plasma (FFP) loses factor V and VIII activities after 1 year. It then becomes frozen plasma (FP), and theoretically is unsuitable for use in patients with coagulopathies. These findings have not been reported for dogs. HYPOTHESIS: Canine FP is hemostatically active after 5 years of storage. ANIMALS: Fresh plasma (Group FsP; n = 15) and 5-year-old FP (Group FzP; n = 10) from blood bank donors. METHODS: Group FsP and Group FzP samples were evaluated by thromboelastography (TEG), one-stage prothrombin time (OSPT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen, and antithrombin. Fresh plasma (n = 6) and a subset of Group FzP (n = 8) were evaluated for clotting factor activities (V, VIII, IX, X). A 2nd experiment using short-term storage of thawed FP under suboptimal conditions (refrigerated [4°C] or refrozen [-20°C]) by TEG was performed to simulate general practice storage capabilities. RESULTS: Group FzP had shorter reaction time (P = .0007) and larger angle (P = .0004) compared with Group FsP by TEG, suggesting hypercoaguability. Factor VIII and X activities were lower in Group FzP (P = .02 and .005, respectively). Fibrinogen, OSPT, and APTT were significantly lower or longer for Group FzP than Group FsP (P < .05), but most values remained within reference intervals for dogs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Five-year-old canine FP stored at -30°C is hemostatically active and should be clinically evaluated in patients with coagulopathies. If active, the monetary savings of using older plasma will be substantial.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23663247/