Study suggests refrigerated canine platelets may last 14 days
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Cold storage may offer veterinary blood banks a longer window for canine platelet concentrate use, according to a new Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care study that assessed platelet storage lesions, viability, function, and bacterial contamination in units stored at 4°C for 14 days. The authors found that platelet viability was maintained over that period, alongside agonist-dependent functional changes and metabolic evidence of storage lesion, including increased lactate, suggesting refrigerated storage could be a workable alternative to the usual room-temperature approach that typically limits shelf life to about five days. Prior canine work has shown meaningful quality changes even within five days of standard storage, while older veterinary guidance has emphasized the logistical limits of fresh platelet products. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the appeal is practical as much as scientific. Platelet products are hard to keep on hand because they’re short-lived, require room-temperature storage with agitation, and can be difficult to source quickly for bleeding dogs. If refrigerated canine platelet concentrates can retain enough hemostatic function for clinically relevant use over 14 days, that could improve inventory management, reduce waste, and expand access for emergency and critical care teams, especially in hospitals without a large transfusion program. The finding also fits with broader transfusion research in dogs and people suggesting cold storage may trade some post-transfusion circulation time for potentially useful immediate hemostatic activity and lower bacterial risk. And it lands alongside growing interest in easier-to-store platelet alternatives: in a recent two-center retrospective study of 68 dogs, lyophilized platelets were used in both thrombocytopenia-associated and nonthrombocytopenia-associated hemorrhage, with potential complications reported in 6% of dogs and no difference in survival to discharge between groups. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
What to watch: The next question is whether these in vitro 14-day refrigerated platelet data translate into better availability and real-world clinical benefit in bleeding dogs, not just acceptable lab performance. That includes how cold-stored platelet concentrates compare with other more logistically flexible products, such as lyophilized platelets, now being used across a range of canine hemorrhage cases. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)