Donor blood could soon be in greater supply.
When patients bleed heavily – like during heart operations – they need additional blood platelets. Currently platelets are stored at room temperature and enjoy a 5-7 day shelf life.
Enter a university research team’s four-year study across 27 different sites in the US and Australia.
While the team investigated whether the platelets could be chilled and stored for longer periods, almost 1,000 patients undergoing cardiac surgery received either room-temperature platelets or their chilled counterparts.
Results showed that platelets chilled at 1-6°C retained their blood-coagulating properties for up to 21 days. Officially increasing the platelets’ shelf life would have far-reaching consequences, particularly for remotely located hospitals.
Post-operation wound infections, meanwhile, can be significantly reduced.
