Therapeutic use of cold-stored platelets in humans: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

George, Chloë E, Scorer, Thomas, Cleves, Anne ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9899-7894, Pilavakis, Ioannis, Harris, Shaun and Carter, Kym 2026. Therapeutic use of cold-stored platelets in humans: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open 16 (6) , e113548. 10.1136/bmjopen-2025-113548

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Abstract

Introduction: Interest in cold-stored platelets (CSP) has seen a resurgence over the last 20 years, having not been clinically used since the 1980s. A multitude of in vitro studies have reported positive characteristics such as improved haemostatic function and longer storage duration in CSP compared with their room-temperature-stored counterparts. More recently, CSP have been investigated in clinical trials and used to improve supply chain resilience in some settings. This systematic review and meta-analysis will synthesise and describe the published evidence on the therapeutic use of CSP to determine the feasibility, safety and efficacy of their use and identify key areas for future research. Methods and analysis: The Medline, Cochrane and EMBASE databases will be searched from inception to date of search for all studies including therapeutic transfusions of CSP in the English language as well as grey literature searches. Abstract screening and shortlisted full-text screening will be performed by two independent reviewers, adjudicated by a third reviewer. The data will be extracted by two reviewers and a narrative review formulated. Risk of bias will be assessed using the risk-of-bias tool for randomised trials (RoB-2) and the Risk of Bias In Non-randomized Studies - of Interventions tool. A meta-analysis will be undertaken using fixed-effect or random-effects models, contingent on the degree of statistical heterogeneity, as quantified by the I² statistic. Ethics and dissemination: No ethical review is required as no original data will be collected. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication and at academic conferences. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD420251086610.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Professional Services > Academic & Student Support Service
Additional Information:	License information from Publisher: LICENSE 1: URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, Start Date: 2026-06-29, Type: open-access
Publisher:	BMJ Publishing Group
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	6 July 2026
Date of Acceptance:	16 June 2026
Last Modified:	06 Jul 2026 16:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/187971

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