A blood supplier ships 3 units of pooled cryoprecipitate. Each pool consists of 5 units of cryoprecipitate. If one unit is thawed at 5:00 pm, when must it be dispense from the blood bank?

A blood supplier ships 3 units of pooled cryoprecipitate. Each pool consists of 5 units of cryoprecipitate. If one unit is thawed at 5:00 pm, when must it be dispense from the blood bank?

• A. Before 9pm
• B. Before 11pm
• C. Before 12am
• D. Before 5pm the next day

Answer: (B)

Once thawed, cryoprecipitate has a limited shelf life at room temperature. The standard guideline is about 6 hours from the time of thawing to preserve clotting factor activity and minimize bacterial growth. So if a unit is thawed at 5:00 pm, it must be dispensed by 11:00 pm to stay within that window. Dispensing at 12:00 am or later would exceed the 6-hour limit, and the product should not be kept beyond that window or refrozen. Pooling doesn’t extend the allowable time after thawing; the same 6-hour rule applies.

Once thawed, cryoprecipitate has a limited shelf life at room temperature. The standard guideline is about 6 hours from the time of thawing to preserve clotting factor activity and minimize bacterial growth. So if a unit is thawed at 5:00 pm, it must be dispensed by 11:00 pm to stay within that window. Dispensing at 12:00 am or later would exceed the 6-hour limit, and the product should not be kept beyond that window or refrozen. Pooling doesn’t extend the allowable time after thawing; the same 6-hour rule applies.