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Old Mon Aug 20, 2007, 07:01 PM
Neil Cuadra Neil Cuadra is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Los Angeles, California
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These questions about blood expiration were on my mind as I attended the AA&MDSIF Patient Conference in Las Vegas last week. As Wendy points out, having transfused blood last as long as possible is much more important for those getting regular transfusions than for those needing a single unit, e.g., after surgery, so this question is particular to those with marrow problems.

For that reason, I brought up the issue with Dr. Steven Gore, one of the conference speakers. He's an MDS and leukemia specialist who works at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins.

Dr. Gore told me that as long as blood has not reached its expiration date, it should be equally effective when transfused no matter how long since it was donated. He said the reason is that the blood is maintained and preserved while in the blood bank and doesn't deteriorate as it would in the body.

I believe what he was telling me is that the expiration date they assign represents when the blood might first start to become less effective, not the date it becomes ineffective. He said the time period for blood to stay in the bank is set conservatively, i.e., they tend to set expiration dates on the early side.

I also talked to a patient who had monitored blood expiration dates and found no difference in the time between transfusions based on the date of the donated blood.

At least in Dr. Gore's view, patients shouldn't worry about blood freshness. That doesn't mesh with Wendy's experience with Grant's transfusions. So we have one expert's opinion, plus anecdotal evidence supporting both views.

Whether or not we conclude that patients should ask blood banks about their policies and doctors about their transfusion orders, it seems sensible to notice the expiration dates on blood that comes from the blood bank. At a minimum, you certainly don't want blood that has reached the expiration date.
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