BACKGROUND: We have done a prospective randomized study to assess the effect of milk ingestion on ionized calcium level and can prevent hypocalcemia during single donor plateletpheresis. METHODS: Between August 2003 and September 2003, thirty single platelet donors who visited Apheresis Unit in St. Mary's Hospital were prospectively randomized into whether milk ingestion (experimental group, n=15) or not (control group, n=15) before apheresis. Plateletpheresis were performed using COBE Spectra LRS TM. Serum ionized calcium level and vital signs were monitored before, 30 minutes after, and completion of apheresis procedure. RESULTS: Vital signs(systolic BP, diastolic BP, pulse) in each time were not significantly different between two groups. Ionized calcium level at finish time tends to elevate compared to those at after 30 minutes in Experimental group (1.08mmol/L at basal, 0.86mmol/L after 30min, 0.93mmol/L at finish time). But ionized calcium levels at finish time significantly decreased than those at baseline level in Control group(1.05mmol/L on basal, 0.91mmol/L after 30min, 0.73mmol/L at finish time)(p=0.0054). Ionized calcium levels at finish time were significantly increased in Experimental group compared to control group(p=0.002). CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that milk ingestion before apheresis can prevent the decrease of serum ionized calcium level and simple recommendation of milk ingestion can prevent hypocalcemia during plateletpheresis.
Blood Component Removal ; Blood Platelets ; Calcium* ; Eating* ; Humans ; Hypocalcemia ; Milk* ; Plateletpheresis* ; Prospective Studies* ; Tissue Donors* ; Vital Signs

BACKGROUND: Use of single donor apheresis platelets and concerning for the quality of apheresis platelets has been rapidly increased. Apheresis platelets depleted white blood cell(WBC) are used to prevent or to reduce febrile non-hemolytic transfusion reactions, alloimmunization and cytomegalovirus infection. We compared COBE Spectra LRS (leukoreduction system) and COBE Spectra with PALL PXL 8 in terms of the yield predictors, processing times, and WBC contamination. METHOD: Seventy-two single donors who visited Apheresis Unit(APU) in St. Mary s hospital were prospectively randomized into COBE Spectra LRS and COBE Spectra followed by PALL PXL 8 between September 1997 and October 1998. We used Coulter counting for platelet and Nageotte hemocytometer for WBC count. Data were analyzed by independent t-test. RESULTS: The mean platelet yield per unit was 3.6+ 1.0 x 10 ' with COBE spectra LRS compared to 2.9+ 1.1 X 10 with COBE Spectra(p=0.002), and the mean WBC content per unit with COBE spectra LRS was 4.1 x 104(0.4-23.5) compared to 3.7 x 104(0.43-17.9) with PALL PXL""8(p=0.0728). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that COBE Spectra LRS has higher platelet yields than that of COBE Spectra, and similar WBC contamination compared to PALL PXL 8. Therefore, this data suggests that COBE Spectra LRS is conveient than COBE Spectra with PALL PXL 8 in clinical practice. (Korean J Blood Transfusion 10(1): 43-51, 1999)
Blood Component Removal ; Blood Group Incompatibility ; Blood Platelets* ; Blood Transfusion ; Cytomegalovirus Infections ; Humans ; Leukocytes* ; Prospective Studies ; Tissue Donors*