Should we choose fresher blood unit for transfusion?

Abstract

Though refrigeration of whole blood and packed red blood cell (PRBC) in 1o-6o c provide longer shelf life up to 35-42 days, question remain about their efficacy at the end of storage time. Moreover, storing whole blood and PRBC for such a long time is reportedly associated with various changes in the red cell and plasma which collectively is called ‘storage lesion’. It was a matter of debate in the scientific community whether transfusion of older blood unit carries any risk to the recipient. This review tries to focus on the various effect of storage on red cell and their potential involvement in the clinical outcome of recipient in the view of recent exploration in this field.