Safety

FDA clears quarantined blood for hospital use

Hospital Safety Connection, March 6, 2003

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White particles found in donated blood appear to be clumps of platelets that form when blood banks fail to remove that natural substance from the red cells that make up transfusions, the Associated Press reports.

No injuries have occurred as a result of the particles, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

As a result, the FDA told hospitals on February 27 that they can use the blood as long as they remove the clumps using specialized filters.

Concerns over blood safety began in late January when the American Red Cross asked hospitals in Georgia and northern Florida to stop using recently collected blood because some contained white particles visible inside the bags. Eventually, the Red Cross quarantined additional blood in areas from Illinois and Missouri to Kentucky and Tennessee.



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