title: Stored red blood cell transfusions: iron, inflammation, immunity, and infection.
abstract: Emily Cooley was a highly regarded medical technologist and morphologist. The "Emily Cooley Lectureship and Award" was established to honor her, in particular, and medical technologists, in general. This article reviews some basic concepts about the "life of a red blood cell" (RBC) and uses these to discuss the actual and potential consequences that occur in patients after clearance of transfused refrigerator storage-damaged RBCs by extravascular hemolysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons-New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Steven L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Spitalnik
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001793:Blood Preservation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000502:physiology; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007109:Immunity / Q000502:physiology*; D007239:Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000635:transmission; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood*; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D007501:Iron