Blood donations discarded as safety disputed
Hospitals are throwing out dozens of blood donations every week because of a dispute between the Commonwealth and transfusion experts over how long the blood can safely be stored.
Australia’s drug regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), has threatened litigation against at least one Melbourne hospital after it discovered that clinicians were not following guidelines on administering donated plasma, a blood component needed for major trauma patients.
The TGA sent a formal warning to all hospitals in February after learning that several were failing to discard plasma not used within the mandated 24-hour window after thawing. However, research at The Alfred Hospital shows that more than 130 plasma donations a year could be saved if a five-day expiry was allowed instead of the 24-hour limit.
Blood experts say the TGA rule contradicts other scientific evidence presented to it as early as 2003 that thawed plasma remained safe and effective to use for up to five days.
