The effect of storing whole blood at 22°C for up to 24 hours with and without rapid cooling on the quality of red cell concentrates and fresh-frozen plasma

Storage of whole blood (WB) for less than 24 hours at ambient temperature is permitted in Europe, but data directly comparing storage with and without active cooling are lacking, which was investigated and compared to current standard methods. WB was stored in one of four different ways for 24 hours after donation before processing on Day 1 to red cell concentrates (RCCs) in saline-adenine-glucose-mannitol and fresh-frozen plasma (FFP; n = 20 each): 1) at 22 degrees C in plastic trays, 2) in cooling devices (Compocool II, NPBI), 3) at 4 degrees C, or 4) processed from WB without storage less than 8 hours from donation (Day 0). 2,3-Diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) in RCCs were lower after ambient storage compared with those processed on Day 0 or after 4 degrees C storage. Rapid cooling slowed the loss of 2,3-DPG but levels were undetectable by Day 21 with any method. On Day 42 of RCC storage, there was no significant difference between storage methods in levels of adenosine triphosphate or hemolysis. Potassium levels were lower in RCCs from WB stored at ambient compared with those produced on Day 0, regardless of the use of cooling plates. FFP produced from WB on Day 0 or after storage at ambient with or without active cooling met UK specifications (> 75% of units > 0.70 IU/mL Factor VIII). These data suggest that RCCs and FFP produced from WB that has been stored at ambient temperature with or without active cooling are of acceptable quality compared with those produced using current standard methods in the United Kingdom.