Routine freezing of red blood cells for transfusion in Western Australia.

Experience with preservation of red cells for transfusion since 1971 has shown that refrigeration with liquid nitrogen is simple and reliable. It allows the use of a concentration of glycerol (20%) which can reasonably be removed by batch-washing if automated washing is not possible. It is possible to transport cells frozen in liquid nitrogen over long distances. This appears the method of choice for preserving rare blood, and once adopted for this purpose it is logical to use it for storage of red cells for other patients. Red cells so stored are similar in many respects to fresh cells, and more than 600 units have been transfused since 1971 without any adverse reaction.