KeywordsATP content · Deformability · Quality · Red cell storage · Storage lesion · In vivo survival · Whole blood Summary Background: Storage duration of red cells has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality following transfusion. This association has been attributed to the loss of deformability of stored red cells leading to deterioration of microvascular perfusion. ATP content is considered a critical determinant of the deformability of stored red cells. Methods: ATP content and deformability were determined after storage for up to 49 days in 40 leukocyte-depleted whole blood units. Red cell deformability was determined using a laser-assisted optical rotational cell analyzer (LORCA ® ) employing shear stress (SS) ranging from 0.3 to 30 Pa. Deformability was expressed as the elongation index (EI). EI was correlated with ATP content. Results: ATP content decreased from 3.5 to 1.7 mol/g hemoglobin. EI increased from 0.03 to 0.05 at an SS of 0.

The ABC device provided a better standardized blood product but did not improve RBC storage variables or plasma quality. It slightly reduced RBC aggregability during storage. Excess AC at the beginning of a donation appears not to significantly affect RBC storage in conventional blood drawing.