prestorage

Prestorage refers to processing steps applied to biological materials, particularly blood and its components, before they are stored. In transfusion medicine, prestorage processing aims to improve safety and compatibility by modifying the product prior to storage, thereby preserving quality during shelf life. Common prestorage procedures include leukoreduction, irradiation, and, in some settings, pathogen reduction.

Prestorage leukoreduction involves removing white blood cells from whole blood or blood components before storage. This reduces the incidence of febrile nonhemolytic transfusion reactions, decreases alloimmunization, and lowers the risk of transmitting certain leukocyte-associated pathogens such as cytomegalovirus. Prestoring irradiation inactivates donor lymphocytes to prevent transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease, and is often recommended for immunocompromised recipients or in directed donations. Pathogen reduction technologies, when available, treat products before storage to inactivate a broad range of pathogens, further enhancing safety.

Benefits of prestorage processing include an improved safety profile for transfused products and potential improvements in posttransfusion outcomes. Limitations include additional processing costs, required specialized equipment and trained personnel, potential loss of product volume or vital components, and the need to adhere to regulatory standards and product-specific guidelines. Prestorage methods are selected based on the product type, recipient risk factors, and available resources.

Compared with post-storage processing, prestorage approaches act earlier in the supply chain and can offer more consistent reduction of certain risks. Regulatory guidance from blood services and health authorities commonly supports prestorage processing for selected products and patient populations.