How often must the ambient air temperature be recorded when storing platelets on a rotator set on an open bench top?

The requirement to record the ambient air temperature every 4 hours when storing platelets on a rotator set on an open bench top stems from guidelines that ensure the proper maintenance of platelet storage conditions. Platelets are sensitive to temperature fluctuations, and maintaining an adequate environmental temperature is crucial for optimizing their viability and functionality.

Regular monitoring at this frequency helps identify any deviations from acceptable storage conditions quickly and allows for timely corrective actions to be taken if necessary. The standard practice of checking every 4 hours balances the need for vigilance with practical considerations in a laboratory setting, ensuring that platelets remain within the recommended temperature range while not imposing an excessive burden on laboratory staff to check more frequently than needed.

In contrast, the other options may not provide sufficient oversight. Recording temperature once a day might miss critical temperature changes that could compromise platelet quality, while twice a day would similarly not provide enough data for immediate interventions if temperature fluctuations occur. Checking every hour, although it offers more frequent data points, may be less practical and cumbersome for staff, especially in a busy laboratory environment. Thus, the standard of recording the temperature every 4 hours is established as a critical practice.