Extending the Refrigerated Storage of Red Blood Cells

摘要

Oxygen removal increases shelf-life and quality of refrigerated blood. The shelf life of our blood has been prolonged to a minimum of 12 weeks with survival equal to or greater than that of conventional 6 week storage. Increased quality is evident in increased ATP and DPG. This may result from increased binding of ATP and DPG to hemoglobin as a consequence of oxygen removal. The extent of quality improvement and prolonged shelf life are not yet maximal. Strong possibilities exist for further enhancing quality and prolonging shelf life. A self-regulating blood bag compatible with conventional storage facilities has been designed and awaits testing.