Thawed plasma is fresh frozen plasma (FFP) that has been stored for 5 days at 1-6 °C. Duration of storage and different storage temperatures might affect the coagulation factor activity in thawed FFP. This study measured the changes of coagulation factor activities over 5 days in thawed FFP and stored at two different initial storage temperatures. Thirty-six units of FFP, which consisted of nine units each from blood groups A, B, AB, and O, were thawed at 37 °C. Each unit was divided into two separate groups (Group A and Group B) based on initial storage temperature. The first group was stored at 2-6 °C for 5 days (Group A). The second group was stored at 20-24 °C for initial 6 h followed by 2-6 °C for 5 days (Group B). Prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), coagulation factor activities of fibrinogen, factor (F) II, FV, FVII, FVIII, FIX, FX, and von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF Ag) were assessed at baseline after thawing, at 6 h, and on days 1, 3, and 5 of storage for both groups. All coagulation factors mean activities in both storage groups decreased significantly over 5 days of storage. The mean FVIII activity at day 5 of storage was 36.9% in Group A and 39.8% in Group B. The other coagulation factors mean activities were > 50% on day 5 of storage in both groups. The coagulation factor activities of thawed FFP stored for 5 consecutive days were reduced in the two storage groups but most of the activities were still above 30%. This study suggests that thawed FFP stored for 5 days has the potential to ameliorate coagulation factor deficiencies in affected patients.
Keywords: Coagulation factors; Fresh frozen plasma; Storage; Temperature.