Impact of a New Refrigerator for the Preservation of Whole Blood

BackgroundA new refrigerating system has been recently developed, which can cool the inside of a material to the required temperature by frequently sensing the temperature of both the inside and the surface of the materials. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of this new system in whole blood preservation.Materials and MethodsStudy 1 (human blood): Whole blood samples from healthy volunteers were anticoagulated with CPDA. The samples were divided into two groups. Group A, whole blood preserved in ordinary refrigerator and Group B, whole blood preserved in new refrigerator (4°C, 15 wk). After preservation, ammonia, lactate, pH. and ATP levels were analyzed. Study 2 (rat experiment): Whole blood samples from male Wistar rats, stored in ordinary refrigerator (Group C) or new refrigerator (Group D). Whole blood was transfused after 8-wk storage and survival was compared.ResultsStudy 1: The ammonia concentrations in Group B were significantly lower than those in Group A at 7 and 9 wk after preservation (P < 0.05). The lactate levels in Group B were significantly lower than those in Group A at 9 wk after preservation (P < 005). The pH levels in Group B were higher than those in Group A at 5 to 13 wk after preservation (P < 0.05). The ATP levels in Group B were higher than those in Group A at 5 to 13 wk after preservation. Study 2: In rat studies using blood transfusion in acute hemorrhagic shock model, survival rate in Group C was significantly higher than those in Group D (P < 0.05).ConclusionsOur new refrigerator is useful in preserving whole blood with good condition during preservation.