Vox sanguinis
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Red blood cells (RBCs) are routinely stored in liquid state at temperatures below 6°C, and RBC unit core temperature should not exceed 10°C during transport. Since the critical temperature of 10°C was chosen mostly arbitrarily, this study investigated the effect of both constant temperature settings as well as multiple rewarming cycles on stored RBCs with respect to morphology, biochemical parameters and haemolysis. ⋯ Red cells can be kept at constant temperatures above 6°C without apparent harmful effects at least until day 14, whereas multiple warming cycles for no longer than 24 h at 10, 13 or 22°C with subsequent cooling do not cause quality loss as assessed using the in vitro assays employed in this study.
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There are few studies on transient warming of red blood cells (RBCs). Occasional storage outside restricted temperature range often results in destroying of the RBC unit, even after a short period of time due to national guidelines. This study evaluates the in vitro effects associated with such accidental warming on RBCs stored in saline-adenine-glucose-mannitol (SAGM) and prepared within 8 h after blood collection. ⋯ Our results suggest that quality of RBCs after transient warming will be maintained at acceptable levels specified in standards and in previous studies. However, increased haemolysis was observed when transient warming occurred during the second part of the storage period of 6 weeks suggesting that RBCs are more vulnerable to warming by the end of storage.