STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to persons with leadership roles related to blood banking and transfusion medicine in their countries/areas/centers, to document the implementation of modern technologies for platelet manufacturing, preservation, and transfusion risk reduction.

RESULTS: Responses to the questionnaire finally came from 52 contributors in 40 countries/areas. Adult platelet doses ranged between 2.0×1011 and 3.0×1011 (median 2.5×1011). In approximately 10 % of centers, apheresis platelets comprised more than 90 % of the platelet inventory. More than 70 % of centers adopted universal or near universal leukocyte-reduction by filtration, apheresis, or both. Almost 20 % of centers irradiated all platelet products. Cold-stored platelets were rarely reported; only 3 centers produce such components for 1 % to 5 % of their supply. The use of platelet additive solution was reported by 18 responders (45 %), mainly in Europe, USA, and Australasia. Bacterial detection systems were reported by 18 responders from around the globe. One fatality was reported after transfusion of a platelet product contaminated with Bacillus cereus, whereas no sequelae were observed after transfusion of >350 platelet products contaminated by Cutibacteriae. Pathogen-reduction/pathogen-inactivation technology has been adopted in 15 centers, with little or no extended expiration period. Export of platelets across national borders was extremely rare.