Should you use FFP in your critically ill veterinary patients? | VETgirl Veterinary Continuing Education Podcasts

Summary: In today's VETgirl online veterinary continuing education podcast, we review whether or not you should use fresh frozen plasma (FFP) in your critically ill veterinary patients. Do you use FFP in your practice? What clinical situations prompt you to consider its use? Bleeding patients? Patients with prolonged clotting times? Patients with hypoalbuminemia or pancreatitis? Before we discuss our use of FFP and the evidence (or lack thereof!) behind it, let's make sure we're all on the same page about what FFP is. It's plasma that has been separated from whole blood and frozen within 8 hours, and it contains not only our coagulation factors, but also anticoagulation factors, fibrinogen, albumin and alpha-macroglobulins. Once it's frozen, it can be stored for up to one year. [After which, it becomes expired plasma or frozen plasma (FP), which still has it's uses!]