The how's and why's of evidence based plasma therapy

Although traditionally fresh frozen plasma (FFP) has been the product of choice for reversing a significant coagulopathy, the modern blood bank will have several different plasma preparations which should all be equally efficacious in reversing a significant coagulopathy or arresting coagulopathic bleeding. Emerging evidence suggests that for a stable patient, transfusing plasma for an INR< or =1.5 does not confer a hemostatic benefit while unnecessarily exposing the patient to the risks associated with plasma transfusion. This review will discuss the various plasma products that are available and present some of the current literature on the clinical uses of plasma.