Washed cells and filtered blood

Washed red cells and filtered blood are indicated in patients with recurrent or severe allergic or febrile reactions to red cells, and in severely IgA-deficient patients with anti-IgA antibodies for whom red cells from an IgA-deficient donor are not available

• produced either manually (24-hour shelf life) or by a closed, automated system in which the red cells are sequentially washed to remove most of the plasma (<0.5 g residual plasma per unit) and then resuspended in 100 mL SAG-M (shelf life 14 days from washing).

Irradiated red cells are useful in patients at risk of transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease

• red cells are irradiated by gamma or X-rays within 14 days of donation and it then has a shelf life of 14 days from irradiation.

Reference:

• (1) Joint United Kingdom (UK) Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services Professional Advisory Committee. Handbook of transfusion medicine (2013).