What is "cryoprecipitate"

Cryoprecipitate, also called "cryoprecipitated antihaemophilic factor", "cryoprecipitated AHF", and "cryo" for short, is a frozen blood product prepared from plasma. To acquire cryoprecipitate, the fresh frozen plasma should be centrifuged and the precipitate should be collected.

It is often transfused as a four to six unit pool instead of as a single product. Many uses of the product have been replaced by factor concentrates, but it is still routinely stocked by many hospital blood banks.

Unlike fresh frozen plasma, compatibility testing is not strictly necessary, but cryo is given as ABO compatible when possible. (Compatibility is reversed for plasma products: O- type is the universal plasma recipient and AB+ type is the universal plasma donor.)