Providing sufficient platelets to meet patient need is an ongoing challenge. As a result, the American Red Cross has been rigorously evaluating all possibilities to safely increase the supply of platelets for transfusion. They believe a viable step towards increasing platelet supply includes distributing platelets that fall just below the standard yield. As you know, the minimum yield specification of a standard apheresis platelet has been established by the FDA as 3.0×1011 platelets. The use of this dose as the standard dose is not based on specific clinical data. Moreover, in Canada and several European countries 2.4×1011 is the minimum acceptable dose for a platelet unit. Click here for details.