Shelf‐life of bank blood and stored plasma with special reference to coagulation factors

Whole blood and plasma drawn into plastic bags containing citrate-phosphate-dextrose (CPD) and stored at 4 degrees C for various periods were studied for variations of coagulation factor and fibrinolytic activity. The blood was collected and processed in the conventional way. The most labile component, factor VIII coagulant activity, decreased to about 50 percent of its original value within the first 24 hours in whole blood, but thereafter, it decreased more slowly. Storage of whole blood for 6 hours at 4 degrees C had an insignificant effect on VIII coagulant activity; an even slower decrease was found for factor VIII coagulant antigen. The major fall in VIII coagulant activity occurred between 6 and 24 hours of whole blood storage. Factor VIII-related antigen remained normal for about 1 week, but on further storage showed signs of proteolytic degradation. In plasma, there was a successive decrease in VIII coagulant activity with its minimum level (about 50% decrease as compared with the original level) after 7 to 14 days of storage. All other factor VIII activities in plasma remained unchanged throughout the study. Factor V retained its activity for about 1 week in the whole blood. Factors II, VII, IX, X, XII, XIII and fibrinogen did not fall below normal during a storage period of 35 days, nor was there any indication of increased fibrinolytic activity in either whole blood or plasma. Storage of whole blood and plasma at 4 degrees C for 1 to 2 weeks seems to have relatively little effect on the levels and function of various coagulation components with the possible exception of factor VIII coagulant activity.