The Extension of 4 C Storage Time of Frozen-Thawed Red Blood Cells.
Abstract
The process of freezing and storing red blood cells has been developed into a relatively simple and practical technic. The storage of frozen red blood cells has been approved by the FDA for up to 10 years of storage time. However once the blood is thawed and reconstituted, the red cells can be stored in a normal blood bank refrigerator for a period of only 72 hrs after which they must be discarded. This short storage period creates great problems in the military environment as well as in civilian life. The reasons for this short period of storage are usually stated as follows: A. The thawed red cells have been suspended in a saline preservative medium with a small amount of added glucose which has limited nutritive value. Over a period of time the red cells deplete the nutrients and begin to autolyze; B. Some of the storage media used for longer term preservation are not isoosmotic with red cells and thus produce some destruction of these cells due to hypotonic shock when they are placed in this medium during the storage period; C. As the red cells metabolize the glucose, the pH slowly drops. This decrease in pH causes a decreased viability of the red cells and decrease in the intermediary metabolites necessary for Rbc function; D. Mos of the methods of washing cells employ equipment that is not completely sealed and therefore there is a possibility that bacteria could be introduced into the blood and grow during the storage period. The purpose of this study was to determine if adding one of several currently acceptable anticoagulants to the blood after washing would increase their survival during storage. (ttl)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 11, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA229081
Entities
People
- Byron A. Myhre
- Carol S. Marcus
Organizations
- Harbor–UCLA Medical Center