title: Hemolysis of red blood cells during processing and storage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  During processing and storage, red blood cells (RBCs) undergo changes and cell injury resulting in hemolysis. Mostly, the separation of whole blood in top-and-bottom quadruple bag systems with break openings takes less than 4 minutes. However, longer separation times are not uncommon. The aims were to investigate whether hemolysis is increased in RBCs with longer separation time (RBCs(>6 min)) compared to regular RBCs (RBCs(reg)), to measure hemolysis increase during storage and to study whether frequency of hemolytic donations is donor dependent.
  
  
  METHODS
  RBCs(>6 min) (n = 172) and 172 matched controls were tested for hemolysis on Days 1 and 21 RBC units from each group were stored at 4 ± 2°C and tested again after 5 weeks. Donor dependency was retrospectively investigated for 100 hemolytic RBC units.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RBCs(>6 min) exhibited a higher mean hemolysis rate than RBCs(reg) (0.058% vs. 0.033%). Four RBC units were hemolytic (>0.8%), all RBCs(>6 min) (2.36%). During storage, hemolysis in both groups increased with 0.24%. Hemolysis frequency did not seem to be donor dependent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased separation time is a useful screening tool for potentially increased hemolysis rate in RBCs. Hemolysis rate increased during storage equally in both groups. Hemolysis frequency appears donor independent.
authors.affiliation: Division of Research, Department of Transfusion Monitoring, Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation, Groningen, the Netherlands. e.gkoumassi@sanquin.nl
authors.forename: Effimia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gkoumassi
authors.forename: Margriet J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Dijkstra-Tiekstra
authors.forename: Dinie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hoentjen
authors.forename: Janny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Wildt-Eggen
mesh_terms: D001782:Blood Donors; D001793:Blood Preservation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D006400:Hematocrit; D006461:Hemolysis; D006801:Humans; D010976:Platelet Count; D012189:Retrospective Studies