Filterability of ACD-stored red cells.

The deformability of stored erythrocytes was studied using the Myrenne filtrometer MF4. Blood was stored in ACD under usual blood banking conditions and filterability studies were done at various intervals during a 3-week period. Marked reductions in stored erythrocyte filterability were noted as early as day 5 of storage. These results show that ACD is not a good "rheological' storage medium and indicate that further studies are required, using different storage media to assess the importance and significance of this rheological lesion.