Editing Plateletpheresis (section)

===Whole blood platelets===
[[File:Platelets collected by using apheresis.jpg|thumb|right|Platelets collected by using [[apheresis]] at an [[American Red Cross]] donation center]]
Not all platelet transfusions use platelets collected by automated apheresis.  The platelets can also be separated from donations of [[whole blood]] collected in a traditional [[blood donation]], but there are several advantages to separating the platelets at the time of collection.  The first advantage is that the whole-blood platelets, sometimes called "random" platelets, from a single donation are not numerous enough for a dose to give to an adult patient.  They must be pooled from several donors to create a single transfusion, and this complicates processing and increases the risk of [[transfusion-transmitted infection|diseases]] that can be spread in transfused blood, such as [[human immunodeficiency virus]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}}

Collecting the platelets from a single donor also simplifies [[human leukocyte antigen]] (HLA) matching, which improves the chance of a successful transfusion.  Since it is time-consuming to find compatible donors for HLA-matched transfusions, collecting a full dose from a single donor is more practical than finding multiple compatible donors.{{cn|date=December 2021}}

Plateletpheresis products are also easier to test for bacterial contamination, a leading cause of transfusion-associated deaths.{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}}  Pooling of whole blood platelets is often done in an "open" system where the platelet containers are connected in a way that could expose the platelets to air, and pooled platelets must be transfused promptly so that any contamination does not have time to grow.{{cn|date=December 2021}}

Problems with apheresis include the expense of the equipment used for collection. Whole blood platelets also do not require any additional donor recruitment, as they can be made from blood donations that are also used for [[packed red blood cells]] and [[blood plasma|plasma]] components.{{cn|date=December 2021}}