Posttransfusion survival (24-hour) and hemolysis of previously frozen, deglycerolized RBCs after storage at 4 degrees C for up to 14 days in sodium chloride alone or sodium chloride supplemented with additive solutions.

Background: Previously frozen human RBCs currently are glycerolized and deglycerolized by the use of open systems that limit storage of the deglycerolized RBCs at 4 degrees C to only 24 hours.

Study Design And Methods: Healthy male volunteers who met AABB requirements for blood donors (n = 38) were studied. A volume of 450 mL of blood was collected into CPDA-1. The RBC concentrates were stored at 4 degrees C for 3 to 6 days before being frozen with 40-percent (wt/vol) glycerol and stored at -80 degrees C. The RBCs were deglycerolized, resuspended in 0.9-percent sodium chloride and 0.2-percent glucose (SG) solution or SG solution supplemented with AS-1, AS-3, or AS-5, and stored in the resuspension medium at 4 degrees C for 14 days.

Results: The mean +/- SD freeze-thaw-wash process recovery was 90.0 +/- 4.0 percent for all 38 units. The mean 24-hour posttransfusion survival value was 79 percent for deglycerolized RBC stored at 4 degrees C for 7 days in SG alone, SG plus AS-3, or SG plus AS-5. Deglycerolized RBC that were stored at 4 C for 14 days in SG supplemented with AS-1, AS-3, or AS-5 had a mean 24-hour posttransfusion survival of 74 percent. After 7 days of storage of deglycerolized RBCs in SG alone, the mean hemolysis was 3. 7 percent. After 14 days of storage of deglycerolized RBCs in SG supplemented with AS-1, AS-3, or AS-5, the mean hemolysis was 2.5 percent.

Conclusions: The levels of hemolysis did not correlate with the 24-hour posttransfusion survival values.