Preparation of Plasma Products

Canadian Blood Services manufactures the following plasma products:

• CP2D Fresh Frozen Plasma, LR (Leukocytes reduced)
• CPDA-1 Fresh Frozen Plasma, LR (Leukocytes reduced)
• Fresh Frozen Plasma Apheresis
• Frozen Plasma, LR (Leukocytes reduced)

Following the implementation of the Buffy Coat Production Method (BCPM), another plasma product will also be available:

• CPD Frozen Plasma

For information about cryosupertant plasma, see Preparation of Cryoprecipitate and Cryosupernatant Plasma.

Preparation of CP2D or CPDA-1 Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP) and Frozen Plasma (FP)

Fresh Frozen Plasma is plasma that is frozen within 8 hours of collection. It may be prepared from a whole blood donation (by separating the red cells and plasma collected) or from an apheresis collection.

Frozen Plasma is plasma that is frozen within 24 hours of collection. All Frozen Plasma prepared by Canadian Blood Services comes from whole blood donations.

Below is a simplified explanation of how these products are prepared from a whole blood collection. Leukofiltration is not shown. Note that Fresh Frozen Plasma can also be prepared when manufacturing platelets.

Step 1		The whole blood donation is centrifuged to separate red cells from plasma.
Step 2		Approximately 190-260 mL of donor plasma is expressed into the first satellite bag. The RBC unit is sealed and stored at 1 – 6oC for its shelf-life. The plasma can be stored as FP or FFP that can be further processed to cryoprecipitate and cryosupernatant plasma using the attached satellite container.
Step 3		Plasma is stored frozen by the manufacturer at temperatures less than minus 20oC for up to 12 months. Non-manufacturers(hospitals and transfusion facilities) are referred to the Canadian Standards Association CAN/CSA-Z902-04, which state that: FFP and FP be stored at -18°C or colder for up to 12 months, and thawed FFP and FP be stored at 1-6°C for up to 24 hours.

Additional information on plasma components may be found in the Circular of Information for the Use of Human Blood and Blood Components - 2004

Preparation of CPD Frozen Plasma

With the implementation of the Buffy Coat Production Method, Frozen Plasma will be prepared from whole blood collected in CPD anticoagulant. Using this production method:

• Plasma will be frozen within 24 hours of collection.
• Frozen plasma from whole blood donations will not be identified as being leukoreduceded, although some will be. Units that are not intended for platelet (buffy coat) production will be leukoreduced as a consequence of whole blood filtration, while those units that are intended for platelet (buffy coat) production will have had the buffy coat removed.

Below is a simplified explanation of how FP from a whole blood collection is prepared. Leukofiltration is not shown.  

Step 1	Whole blood collected into CPD is centrifuged to separate red cells from plasma.
Step 2	Following centrifugation the whole blood is loaded onto the component separator (Compomat G4). The plasma is extracted and frozen within 24 hrs. of collection
Step 3	Plasma is stored frozen by the manufacturer at - 20oC or colder for up to 12 months.   Non-manufacturers (hospitals and transfusion facilities) are referred to the Canadian Standards Association CAN/CSA-Z902-04, which states: Frozen plasma be stored at -18°C or colder for up to12 months, and thawed FP be stored at 1-6°C for up to 24 hours.