Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Platelet transfusion can be lifesaving in dogs with severe thrombocytopenia and hemorrhage, but platelet products are limited by short shelf life and contamination risk. Cold-stored platelets (CSP) may provide a practical alternative, but in vivo hemostatic efficacy in dogs is unknown. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the clinical hemostatic efficacy and safety of CSP transfusions in thrombocytopenic dogs. ANIMALS: Twenty-four thrombocytopenic dogs from a veterinary teaching hospital population that received CSP transfusions between March 2022 and October 2024. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study. Medical records of dogs receiving platelet concentrate stored at 4 °C for up to 21 days were reviewed. Hemorrhage severity was assessed using a modified Daily Canine Bleeding Assessment Tool (DOGiBAT) score before transfusion and at 1 and 4 h post-transfusion. Primary outcomes included change in bleeding score, clinical response, transfusion reactions, and survival to discharge. RESULTS: Twenty-four dogs received 27 CSP transfusions. Mean pre-transfusion platelet count was 23 × 103/μL (range, 2-107 × 103/μL) and mean post-transfusion count was 28 × 103/μL (range, 2-100 × 103/μL; P = .84). Mean DOGiBAT score decreased from 3.15 ± 2.4 at baseline to 2.21 ± 2.1 at 4 (mean change, -0.94; P = .002). Clinical improvement occurred in 19 of 27 transfusions (70%). No transfusion reactions were documented. Nineteen of 24 dogs (79%) survived to discharge. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Cold-stored platelets were well-tolerated and associated with decreased bleeding severity in thrombocytopenic dogs, supporting CSP as a practical platelet transfusion option for clinical hemostatic support.
Institution: Washington State University
Language: English
Subfield: Hematology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,000
OpenAlex ID: W7223414293