Bacterial safety of extended room temperature storage of thawed cryoprecipitate

How do I implement pathogen reduced Cryoprecipitated fibrinogen complex in a tertiary Hospital's blood Bank

BACKGROUND

Kaiser-Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center (LAMC) is a 560 licensed bed facility that provides regional cardiovascular services, including 1200 open heart surgeries annually. In 2021, LAMC explored alternative therapies to offset the impact of pandemic-driven cryo AHF shortages, and implemented Pathogen Reduced Cryoprecipitated Fibrinogen Complex (also known as INTERCEPT Fibrinogen Complex or IFC). IFC is approved to treat and control bleeding associated with fibrinogen deficiency. Unlike cryo AHF, IFC has 5-day post-thaw shelf life with potential operational and clinical benefits. The implementation steps and the operational advantages to the LAMC Blood Bank are described.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Eighteen months post-implementation, the institution reviewed their product implementation experience and compared IFC with cryo AHF with a retrospective review of transfusion service and cardiac post-op data.

RESULTS

IFC significantly decreased product wastage rates and order-to-issue time. It did not significantly impact post-op product utilization or hospital length of stay (LOS) in cardiac surgery patients when compared with cryo AHF.

DISCUSSION

Implementation of IFC provides improved product supply stability, shorter turnaround times, and reduced wastage.

Use of Cryoprecipitate in Newborn Infants

Cryoprecipitate is a transfusion blood product derived from fresh-frozen plasma (FFP), comprised mainly of the insoluble precipitate that gravitates to the bottom of the container when plasma is thawed and refrozen. It is highly enriched in coagulation factors I (fibrinogen), VIII, and XIII; von Willebrand factor (vWF); and fibronectin. In this article, we have reviewed currently available information on the preparation, properties, and clinical importance of cryoprecipitate in treating critically ill neonates. We have searched extensively in the databases PubMed, Embase, and Scopus after short-listing keywords to describe the current relevance of cryoprecipitate.

Comparison of Bacterial Risk in Cryo AHF and Pathogen Reduced Cryoprecipitated Fibrinogen Complex

Until November 2020, cryoprecipitated antihaemophilic factor (cryo AHF) was the only United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved fibrinogen source to treat acquired bleeding. The post-thaw shelf life of cryo AHF is limited, in part, by infectious disease risk. Concerns over product wastage demand that cryo AHF is thawed as needed, with thawing times delaying the treatment of coagulopathic patients. In November 2020, the FDA approved Pathogen Reduced Cryoprecipitated Fibrinogen Complex for the treatment and control of bleeding, including massive hemorrhage, associated with fibrinogen deficiency. Pathogen Reduced Cryoprecipitated Fibrinogen Complex (also known as INTERCEPT^® Fibrinogen Complex, IFC) has a five-day post-thaw room-temperature shelf life. Unlike cryo AHF, manufacturing of IFC includes broad spectrum pathogen reduction (Amotosalen + UVA), enabling this extended post-thaw shelf life. In this study, we investigated the risk of bacterial contamination persisting through the cryoprecipitation manufacturing process of cryo AHF and IFC. Experiments were performed which included spiking plasma with bacteria prior to cryoprecipitation, and bacterial survival was analyzed at each step of the manufacturing process. The results show that while bacteria survive cryo AHF manufacturing, IFC remains sterile through to the end of shelf life and beyond. IFC, with a five-day post-thaw shelf life, allows the product to be sustainably thawed in advance, facilitating immediate access to concentrated fibrinogen and other key clotting factors for the treatment of bleeding patients.