title: When is a unit of blood transfused relative to its date of expiration?
abstract: Analysis of computer-generated data from 42,902 transfusions of red cells or whole blood reveales that 30 percent of Rh-positive and 46.5 percent of Rh-negative units of blood will be lost from inventory if the permissible storage time for blood is immediately reduced to 25 days. These data indicate that, should such a reduction be adopted as a means of preventing transfusion-transmitted Yersinia infection, the blood banking industry will have serious difficulties in maintaining an adequate blood supply.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Judd
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Butch
mesh_terms: D001771:Blood Banks / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D012984:Software; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States