The quality of red blood cells

The evolving practice of medicine has required a number of changes in red cell product manufacture to ensure that the final product is more specifically tailored to the needs of the individual patient. As a result of the increasing concern over the risks of transfusion pharmaceutical standards of manufacture are now applied to blood component preparation. Studies have been undertaken to define the optimum method of blood processing, and newer technologies are emerging to allow acquisition of a more consistent dose of red cells in a fashion which may minimize the lesion of collection. Use of high efficiency 3+ generation filter technologies reduces leukokine build up during storage and improves the quality and purity of the stored blood product. The combination of new plasticizers for packaging and improved red cell additive solutions should allow the blood center to supply a more functional red cell with longer storage shelf life. Overall these developments should result in the provision of a more consistent dose of fully functional red cells to the recipient who will be less exposed to the undesirable sequelae of transfusion than previously.