Cryoprecipitate Collection and Administration

Collection and Processing Steps

Cryoprecipitate is manufactured by thawing fresh frozen plasma at 4 ± 2°C, which precipitates out factor VIII, factor XIII, von Willebrand factor, fibronectin, and fibrinogen, according to the Anaesthesia guideline 1
The process begins with obtaining fresh frozen plasma through either centrifugation of whole blood donations or apheresis collection, as recommended by the Anaesthesia guideline 1
The collected plasma is initially leukodepleted to reduce adverse reactions, following the Anaesthesia guideline 2
The plasma is then frozen and stored at temperatures below -25°C, as stated in the Anaesthesia guideline 1
The precipitate is then collected and resuspended in a small volume of plasma, according to the Anaesthesia guideline 3

Cryoprecipitate is stored at core temperatures below -25°C for up to 36 months, as recommended by the Anaesthesia guideline 1
Once thawed for administration, it can be kept at ambient temperature for 4 hours and should not be refrigerated again, according to the Anaesthesia guideline 2, 4
If there is a delay in transfusion, cryoprecipitate can be stored at ambient temperature but must be used within 4 hours, as stated in the Anaesthesia guideline 1
The typical infusion rate is 10-20 ml·kg⁻¹·h⁻¹, as recommended by the Anaesthesia guideline 1

Each single unit of cryoprecipitate contains approximately 400-450 mg of fibrinogen, according to the Anaesthesia guideline 2, 4
Pools of five units contain at least 2 g of fibrinogen, as stated in the Anaesthesia guideline 2, 4
According to quality standards, 75% of packs should contain at least 140 mg of fibrinogen, and pooled cryoprecipitate should contain > 700 mg, as recommended by the Anaesthesia guideline 1

For patients, cryoprecipitate is made from FFP sourced outside the UK and undergoes viral inactivation with methylene blue, according to the Anaesthesia guideline 2, 4
These components are available as single units for smaller individuals and pooled units for older individuals, as stated in the Anaesthesia guideline 2

The adult dose is typically two pools of cryoprecipitate, as recommended by the Anaesthesia guideline 2, 4
Transfusion should be performed using a standard blood giving set with a 170-200 μm filter, according to the Anaesthesia guideline 1, 2, 4