title: Changing the 30-min Rule in Canada: The Effect of Room Temperature on Bacterial Growth in Red Blood Cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To maintain product quality and safety, the '30-min rule' requires the discard of red blood cells (RBCs) that are exposed to uncontrolled temperatures for more than 30 min. Recent studies suggest this rule may safely be extended to a 60-min rule.
  
  
  METHODS
  A pool-and-split design study (N = 4) was run in parallel at Canadian Blood Services (SAGM RBCs) and Héma-Québec (AS-3 RBCs). RBCs were spiked with ∼1 colony-forming unit/ml of mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria. Control units remained in storage at 1-6 °C for 42 days. Test 30 (T30) and T60 units were exposed to room temperature (RT) six times during storage, each time for 30 and 60 min, respectively. Bacterial proliferation was monitored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mesophilic bacteria do not proliferate in RBCs. The growth of psychrophilic bacteria is not significantly different in RBCs exposed for 30 or 60 min to RT (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study findings were the final evidence to support extension from a 30-min rule to a 60-min rule in Canada.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Innovation, Canadian Blood Services, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramirez-Arcos
authors.affiliation: Centre for Innovation, Canadian Blood Services, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Yuntong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kou
authors.affiliation: Héma-Québec, Research and Development, Operational Research, Québec, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Éric
authors.initials: É
authors.lastname: Ducas
authors.affiliation: Héma-Québec, Research and Development, Operational Research, Québec, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thibault
keywords: 30-min rule; Bacteria; Red blood cells