The age of stored red blood cell concentrates at the time of transfusion.
In the past decade, studies suggesting a reduced oxygen delivery by stored red blood cell concentrates (RBCCs) have initiated a discussion about the use of fresh versus old blood. We determined whether old RBCCs represent a significant part of the total of RBCCs issued. The age of RBCCs at the time of transfusion was determined in 74 084 units during a 5-year period in the Academic Medical Center, a main Dutch University Hospital. The mean (+/-SD) storage time of the total number of transfused RBCC was 19.4 +/- 7.0 days, and 37% were older than 3 weeks. As more than one-third of the transfused RBCC units are stored for longer than 3 weeks, the research examining differences in oxygen delivery between fresh and stored RBCC is relevant for packed RBC transfusion practice.
Raat
N J H
NJ
Department of Physiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. n.j.raat@amc.uva.nl
Berends
F
F
Verhoeven
A J
AJ
de Korte
D
D
Ince
C
C
D001793:Blood Preservation / Q000379:methods; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion / Q000379:methods; D004912:Erythrocytes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies