An integrated liquid-frozen blood banking system.

Frozen red cells have been field-tested at the Mobile Fleet Hospital deployed at 29 Palms, Calif., and at Bridgeport, Calif., and at the PACOM Blood Program Office, Okinawa, Japan, to evaluate the feasibility of using these products to support the US Navy and Marines in combat areas. We studied both nonrejuvenated and rejuvenated cryopreserved red cell concentrates. Red cells stored at 4 degrees C in CPD or CPDA-1 for 3-6 days (nonrejuvenated), and red cells stored at 4 degrees C in CPD for 22-26 days or in CPDA-1 for 36-38 days before biochemical modification (rejuvenated), were frozen with 40% w/v glycerol at -80 degrees C. A multiple-bag collection system with a 600 or 800 ml primary bag was used for blood collection, and the primary bag was used for processing from preparation of the red cell concentrate through prewash dilution. The thawed red cells were washed with 1.5 liters of a sodium chloride-glucose-phosphate solution. As part of this feasibility study, frozen red cells were shipped by air in dry ice (-79 degrees C), and previously frozen washed red cells were shipped in wet ice (4 degrees C). In vitro red cell recovery values were at least 90%. After postwash storage at 4 degrees C for as long as 3 days, the red cells had 24-hour posttransfusion survivals of at least 70%, normal or slightly impaired oxygen transport function, and minimal hemolysis.