Choice of Single Donor and Random Donor Platelet Transfusion — Its Costs

The use of platelets transfusion has not only doubled between 1980 and 1985 in the USA [1–5], but seems to be still continuing to grow in most industrialized countries (Figure 1). Most commonly platelets have been used prophylactically, in chronically thrombocytopenic patients in the haemato-oncology departments. Platelets play a crucial role in transfusion practice, not only because of the short shelf life but also because there is no available growth factor to replace it yet in the clinical practice [6–8].