 |
 |
July 20th, 2004
Transfusion Specialists learn that not all S/D treated fresh frozen plasma is the same at recent ISBT meeting
Over 1,500 blood and transfusion specialists convened in the beautiful city of Edinburgh, Scotland for the International Society of Blood and Transfusion (ISBT) congress from 11-15 July, 2004.
Octapharma participated in the congress exhibition with a booth devoted to our solvent detergent treated fresh frozen plasma, Octaplas. In addition, Octapharma organized an informative lunchtime symposium on Monday, July 12th entitled "The Great S/D Plasma Debate - Time to Explode the Myths. The following text provides a brief review of the symposium presentations:
|
 |
|
Prof. Peter Hellstern |
Professor Peter Hellstern, researcher from the Institute of Hemostaseology and Transfusion Medicine at Academic City Hospital in Ludwigshafen, Germany, chaired the symposium and gave a presentation entitled, "Solvent/Detergent-treated Plasmas (S/D) are not all the same."
During his presentation, Professor Hellstern discussed how a number of differences in the way manufacturers produce S/D plasma may result in clinically beneficial alterations in the biological activity of the finished product. In particular, in-vitro experiments with samples from aphaeresis plasma bags has shown that a second freezing and thawing process, as occurs when S/D products are prepared for clinical use, significantly reduces the activities of the coagulation factors V, VIII, and XI over that of normal fresh frozen plasma. Furthermore, Prof. Hellstern elaborated on the potential of several laboratory tests to further discriminate differences among S/D treated plasma products.
|
 |
|
Dr. Volha Chekrizova |
Dr. Volha Chekrizova, researcher for the Irish Blood Transfusion Service at the National Blood Center in Ireland, presented "S/D Plasma use - Irish Experience," in which she shared results from her retrospective study on the efficacy and tolerability of solvent/detergent-treated FFP in several patient groups. Dr. Chekrizova outlined the study methodology and evaluation of women, children, and neonates who were treated with S/D plasma in 3 large Dublin hospitals from April 2002 - October 2003. As a result of this study, Dr. Chekrizova concluded that the use of S/D plasma in critically ill neonates, children with liver disease and obstetric and gynaecological emergencies is safe and is associated with an improvement of laboratory indices of coagulopathy. Further studies are needed on the prevention of haemorrhage following liver biopsy.
|
 |
|
Dr. George F. Riedler |
The symposium closed with a highly topical presentation from Dr. George F. Riedler, head of the Department of Transfusion Services Haematology in the Regional Blood Center in Switzerland, entitled "Can S/D plasma prevent TRALI - the new danger in Transfusion medicine?" The interest in Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI) as increased in recent years as several studies have been published that not only define the condition more precisely, but have also revealed evidence that the morbidity and mortality related to TRALI after transfusion of normal fresh frozen plasma is higher than previously thought. Dr. Riedler explained the condition, potential risk factors, and results of recent studies and concluded his presentation with data from a 10 year study in Norway in which over 300,000 units of Octaplas were used and no TRALI cases were reported, among other positive results that suggest that S/D plasma is favourable to FFP.
Many of the visitors to the Octapharma booth had the opportuntiy to learn more about TRALI in the Octaplas Challenge, a short quiz that tests the delegates on the incidence and mortality of TRALI, in addtion to key product characteristics of Octaplas. Contestants submitted their quiz cards for the daily draw. Five to six cards were randomly picked as the winners of a beautiful Cross pen set. Seventeen people won in total!
© Octapharma AG, 2004 |
