Re-Assessing Red Blood Cell Storage

Numerous reports have surfaced over the past decade centering on the potential for complications when transfusing “new” versus “old” stored red blood cells (RBCs). The transfusion of whole blood and packed RBCs has been a standard medical treatment since Landsteiner in 1900 developed red cell ABO typing, leading to compatible transfusions from donor to recipient. Nearly fifteen million units of whole blood are donated in the United States each year by approximately eight million volunteer blood donors.