Shipment Temperatures

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The page below is a sample from the LabCE course Current Good Manufacturing Practices for Transfusion Services. Access the complete course and earn ASCLS P.A.C.E.-approved continuing education credits by subscribing online.

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Shipment Temperatures

CFR Title 21 Section 600.15 provides a table that lists the required shipping temperatures for biological products. This is NOT the same as the storage temperatures. The table below includes those sections of the table that apply specifically to blood and blood products. Note that exemptions can be made, but only with written approval by the Director, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER).

ProductTemperature
Cryoprecipitated AHF< -18°C
Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP)< -18°C
Liquid Plasma 1-10°C
Plasma< -18°C
Platelet Rich Plasma1-10°C if the label indicates storage between 1 and 6°C, or all reasonable methods to maintain the temperature as close as possible to a range between 20-24°C, if the label indicates storage between 20 and 24°C
Platelets 1-10°C if the label indicates storage between 1 and 6°C, or all reasonable methods to maintain the temperature as close as possible to a range between 20-24°C , if the label indicates storage between 20 and 24°C
Red Blood Cells (liquid product)1-10°C
Red Blood Cells Frozen < -65°C
Source Plasma< -5°C
Source Plasma Liquid< 10°C
Whole BloodBlood that is transported from the collecting facility to the processing facility shall be transported in an environment capable of continuously cooling the blood toward a temperature range of 1-10°C, or at a temperature as close as possible to 20-24°C for a period not to exceed 6 hours. Blood transported from the storage facility shall be placed in an appropriate environment to maintain a temperature range of 1-10°C during shipment.