Dried Plasma - Where Are We and Where Next?

Traumatic hemorrhage is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, in both military and civilian settings. Early hemostatic resuscitation including red cell and plasma administration is a mainstay of treatment. Prehospital blood transfusion benefits trauma patients, but delivery is logistically challenging. Dried plasma, stored in ambient conditions and reconstituted rapidly, without specialist equipment, offers a pragmatic solution to the logistical barriers to prehospital transfusion. This review outlines mechanisms of action, and approaches to evaluating efficacy of plasma, summarizes advances in drying technologies and their sequelae on plasma quality, and critically appraises 4 published studies.