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Review
. 2013 Nov;96(5):1894-9.
doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2013.05.116. Epub 2013 Oct 3.

Red blood cell storage: how long is too long?

Colleen G Koch  1 , Priscilla I Figueroa, Liang Li, Joseph F Sabik 3rd, Tomislav Mihaljevic, Eugene H Blackstone
Affiliations
Review

Red blood cell storage: how long is too long?

Colleen G Koch et al. Ann Thorac Surg. 2013 Nov.

Abstract

Red blood cells (RBCs) undergo biochemical and structural changes during storage, commonly referred to as the "storage lesion." Evidence suggests that the longer the RBC product is stored, the less effective is the transfused blood. Many studies linking morbidity to transfusion have not considered duration of RBC storage as a variable that may modulate the effect. In addition, the effects of supply and demand and RBC inventory management strategies have been incompletely investigated. It is possible to envision a blood management system based on modern inventory management strategies that could greatly reduce storage duration.

Keywords: 18.

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