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Published on: July 15, 2015
Potassium changes associated with blood transfusion in pediatric patients
Jordan Olson1, Mala Talekar, Mansi Sachdev
1Department of Pathology, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Ave HG-160, Hershey, PA 17033, USA. jolson1@hmc.psu.edu
American Journal of Clinical Pathology
|May 22, 2013
Summary
Potassium levels in stored packed red blood cells (pRBCs) increase over time. However, routine pediatric transfusions showed no significant change in patient potassium, suggesting fresh pRBCs are unnecessary.
Area of Science:
- Transfusion Medicine
- Clinical Pathology
- Pediatric Hematology
Background:
- Storage of packed red blood cells (pRBCs) leads to increased potassium concentration.
- This phenomenon is well-documented for certain storage solutions but not for Adsol (AS-5).
- The impact of potassium shifts on pediatric patients during routine transfusions is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potassium concentration changes in Adsol (AS-5) stored pRBC units.
- To assess the effect of pRBC transfusions on whole-blood potassium levels in pediatric patients.
- To determine if there is a correlation between unit age, unit potassium concentration, and patient potassium changes.
Main Methods:
- Measured pre- and posttransfusion whole-blood potassium in pediatric patients.
- Sampled transfused pRBC units and their segments for potassium concentration.
- Monitored potassium levels in AS-5 units over 42 days of storage.
Main Results:
- Extracellular potassium in AS-5 units increased after day 7 (0.83 mmol/L/d).
- The mean change in patient potassium concentration was minimal (0.08 mmol/L).
- No correlation was found between unit age/potassium and changes in patient potassium.
Conclusions:
- Increased potassium in stored AS-5 pRBC units does not clinically affect pediatric patient potassium levels during routine transfusion.
- The use of "fresh" pRBC units is not supported for routine pediatric transfusions based on potassium levels.
- Further research may be needed to explore other factors influencing potassium shifts in transfusion medicine.
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