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Tuesday, 10 January 2017

Transfusions of 'old' blood might hurt some patients

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Blood transfusions with the oldest blood accessible can be harmful for a few patients, finds a team of researchers. The investigators suggest reducing the utmost blood storage limit from six to 5 weeks.

The oldest blood accessible for transfusions releases massive and probably harmful amounts of iron into patients' bloodstreams, a brand new study by researchers at Columbia middle (CUMC) has found.

Based on the new findings, the researchers suggest that the agency cut back the utmost storage limit of red blood cells from six weeks to five weeks, as long as there square measure enough blood provides accessible.

"Our recommendation are controversial , however we predict we've got real knowledge to support it," aforementioned the study's co-leader Steven Spitalnik, MD, academic of pathology & cell biology at CUMC and medical director of the clinical laboratories at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia. "Recent studies have all over that transfusing previous blood has no impact on patient outcomes, however those studies did not solely examine the oldest blood accessible for transfusions. Our new study found a true downside once transfusing blood that is older than five weeks."

Their findings seem within the Gregorian calendar month issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Transfusion of red blood cells is that the commonest procedure performed in hospitalized patients, with around five million patients receiving red somatic cell transfusions annually within the u. s.. "But the longer you store blood, the additional the cells become broken," aforementioned the study's co-leader Eldad box, MD, professor of pathology & cell biology at CUMC and clinical medical specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia. Currently, the U.S. agencypermits units of red blood cells to be keep for up to six weeks before they need to be discarded.

In the study, the researchers every which way appointed a gaggle of sixty healthy volunteers to receive a unit of red blood cells that had been keep for one, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 weeks. The volunteers were then monitored for twenty hours once transfusion.

Within hours once transfusion, seven of the nine volunteers World Health Organization received the 6-week-old blood couldn't fittingly metabolise the broken cells, thereby cathartic massive amounts of iron into their blood. just one volunteer World Health Organization received younger blood had the same response, with blood had been keep for 5 weeks.

None of the volunteers were injured by the transfusion, however previous studies have shown that excess iron will enhance blood clots and promote infections. "Based on the number of iron current within the blood of the volunteers World Health Organization received 6-week-old blood, we'd predict that sure existing infections can be exacerbated," said Dr. Hod.

"Thus, for ill, hospitalized patients, this excess iron could lead on to serious complications," said Dr. Spitalnik says.

The true impact of 6-week-old blood on the speed of complications in patients is probably going to be tiny, the researchers say, however since various Americans receive transfusions every year, even a one p.c distinction in complications might have an effect on an oversized range of patients.

"It's calculable that up to ten to twenty p.c of blood units used for transfusions are keep for over five weeks, therefore the range of patients World Health Organization square measure possible to receive a unit of terriblyprevious blood is substantial," Dr. Hod added.


"Based on our findings of potential hurt, we predict the prudent issue to try to to at now is for the agency to scale back the utmost storage amount," said Dr. Spitalnik. "The U.K., Ireland, Holland, and therefore the National Institutes of Health have restricted storage to thirty five days, and that we assume which will be achieved throughout the U.S. while not seriously poignant the blood offer."
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