Store donated blood for more than 3 weeks? Say NO (nitric oxide)
Sunday, March 10, 2013 - 17:30
in Health & Medicine
Transfusion of donated blood more than three weeks old results in impaired blood vessel function, a new study of hospital patients shows. Blood banks now consider six weeks to be the maximum permitted storage time of blood for use in transfusion, but recent studies have suggested transfusing blood stored for more than a few weeks has adverse effects in patients undergoing cardiac surgery or critical care.