Duration of packed rbc storage on morbidity and mortality after transfusion

Red blood cell (RBC) transfusions can be life-saving for patients with severe anemia. Acute blood loss requires immediate transfusions, so stored packed RBCs (PRBCs) is commonly used as a readily available blood component for transfusion. The shelf life of refrigerator-stored PRBCs varies depending on the anticoagulant and preservative solution used but typically is 35 days for canine PRBCs. The oldest stored units generally are dispensed first to reduce wastage. However, studies of human patients, especially those with trauma after cardiac surgery, or in a pediatric intensive care unit, have found associations between transfusion of older PRBCs (generally defined as more than 14 days of storage) and increased sepsis, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, mortality, or some combination of these.
Source: Advances in Small Animal Medicine and Surgery - Category: Veterinary Research Tags: Critical Care Source Type: research