The use of pathogen reduction technologies (PRTs) for labile
blood components is slowly but steadily increasing.
While pathogen-reduced plasma is already used routinely,
efficacy and safety concerns impede the widespread use
of pathogen-reduced platelets. The supportive and often
prophylactic nature of blood component therapy in a variety
of clinical situations complicates the clinical evaluation of
these novel blood products. However, an increasing body of
evidence on the clinical efficacy, safety, cost-benefit ratio and
development of novel technologies suggests that pathogen
reduction has entered a stage of maturity that could further
increase the safety margin in haemotherapy. This review
summarizes the clinical evidence on PRTs for plasma and
platelet products that are currently licensed or under development