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Faisal Almutairi: Blood Components Overview
Faisal Almutairi/LinkedIn
May 15, 2026, 10:41

Faisal Almutairi: Blood Components Overview

Faisal Almutairi,  Medical Laboratory Supervisor at Confidential Government, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“Blood Components Overview


Packed Red Blood Cells (PRBC)

Composition

  • Concentrated red blood cells
  • Hematocrit:  approximately 60–70%
  • Minimal plasma

Storage Temperature

  • 2–6°C
  • Stored in refrigerator

Shelf Life

  • 35–42 days
  • Depends on preservative solution

When to Use

  • Acute blood loss and hemorrhage
  • Severe anemia, usually Hb greater than 7 g/dL
  • Pre-operative or post-operative anemia

Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP)

Composition

All clotting factors

Plasma proteins:

  • Albumin
  • Globulins
  • No cells

Storage Temperature

  • –18°C or colder
  • Stored in deep freezer

Shelf Life

  • Up to 1 year
  • After thawing: use within 24 hours

When to Use

  • Coagulation disorders, for example liver disease
  • Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC)
  • Massive transfusion
  • Warfarin reversal if specific antidote is unavailable

Platelet Concentrate

Composition

  • Platelets suspended in a small amount of plasma

Storage Temperature

  • 20–24°C
  • Room temperature
  • Requires continuous gentle agitation

Shelf Life

  • 5–7 days

When to Use

  • Thrombocytopenia:
  • Platelets less than 10,000–20,000/µL
  • Active bleeding with low platelets
  • Bone marrow failure

Chemotherapy patients

Cryoprecipitate

Composition

  • Fibrinogen
  • Factor VIII
  • Factor XIII
  • von Willebrand factor

Storage Temperature

  •  –18°C or colder

Shelf Life

  • 1 year
  • After thawing: use within 6 hours

When to Use

  • Hypofibrinogenemia
  • Massive bleeding:
  • Trauma
  • Obstetric bleeding
  • Hemophilia A if factor concentrate is unavailable
  • von Willebrand disease if specific treatment is unavailable”

Faisal Almutairi

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anemia Blood Bone Marrow Failure DIC Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation Factor VIII Factor XIII Faisal Almutairi FFP fibrinogen Fresh Frozen Plasma Health Hematocrit Hematology Hemophilia Hemophilia A hemorrhage Hemostasis Hemostasis News Hemostasis Today Hypofibrinogenemia Medicine Packed Red Blood Cells 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗺𝗮 PRBC RBC thrombocytopenia Von Willebrand Disease Von Willebrand Factor Warfarin
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