Red blood cell products: consideration of the discrepant temperature ranges permitted for storage versus transport.

The focus of this study was to determine if there is significant data to prohibit short-term storage of red blood cells (RBCs; i.e., <24 hr) at 1 to 10°C rather than 1 to 6°C, which occurs not uncommonly when RBCs are stored in a cooler for a patient during surgery. This document will describe the evidence in the literature to date regarding the potential impact of having RBCs temporarily in the 1 to 10°C range versus in the 1 to 6°C range, if any, on key measures of the quality of RBC storage: potassium, adenosine triphosphate, 2,3-diphosphoglycerate, posttransfusion survival, and bacterial contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]