How is blood preserved

Search Menu. Article Navigation. Close mobile search navigation Article Navigation. Volume Oxford Academic. Google Scholar. Cite Cite Max M. Select Format Select format. Permissions Icon Permissions. Article PDF first page preview. If red cells are preserved in SAGM solution then their life goes upto 42 days. The material of the bag is biocompatible with blood cells and allows diffusion of gases permitting optimal cell preservation.

The blood is stored in refrigerators at 2 to 6 degrees C. Each unit of whole blood normally is separated into several components. Red blood cells may be stored under refrigeration for a maximum of 42 days, or they may be frozen for up to 10 years.

Red cells carry oxygen and are used to treat anaemia. Platelets are important in the control of bleeding and are generally used in patients with leukaemia and other forms of cancer. Platelets are stored at room temperature and may be kept for a maximum of five days. The pool size and the number of units required for a therapeutic dose are determined by the blood supplier and available inventory may vary.

The shelf life is 42 days from the date of collection The expiration date is located on the unit s. Returns If the transfusion cannot be initiated within a time frame that would allow for completion within 4 hours of time issued, return the component to the Blood Bank. Exception Blood can be stored in a Blood Bank validated cooler for up to 6 hours. The cooler must be returned to the Blood Bank prior to the 6 hour cooler expiration time.

The cooler will then be repacked and reissued if the blood products are still needed. The cooler expiration time is noted on the outside of the cooler. This process takes approximately 45 minutes. Your donation is kept on ice before being taken to a Red Cross center for processing; the test tubes go to the lab. At our processing center, information about your donation is scanned into a computer database. Most whole blood donations are spun in centrifuges to separate it into transfusable components: red cells, platelets, and plasma.

Plasma may be processed into components such as cryoprecipitate, which helps control the risk of bleeding by helping blood to clot. Red cells and platelets are leuko-reduced, which means your white cells are removed in order to reduce the possibility of the recipient having a reaction to the transfusion.

In parallel with Step 2, your test tubes arrive at a testing laboratory. A dozen tests are performed, to establish the blood type and test for infectious diseases. Learn More About Tests Performed. Test results are transferred electronically to the processing center within 24 hours.