Effects of Various Blood Warmers on the Components of Bank Blood

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Abstract
Four currently available blood warmers, the DuPaCo Hemokinetitherm, Taurus Model 300 electromagnetic unit, Ohio Model 987 microwave (2450 mHZ) unit, and Fenwal 4R4304 dry-heat unit, were evaluated for their effects on VDRL-positive (venereal disease research laboratory), CPD bank blood (citrate, phosphate and dextrose), 1 to 23 days old. Changes in chemical composition, electrolytes, enzymes, red cell survival, and free hemoglobin levels were recorded. During the warming process, changes similar to those caused by aging were produced by both electromagnetic units, being more pronounced with the radio wave than the microwave unit, the latter causing hemolysis in approximately 35 to 40 percent of bags warmed. This may have resulted from a lack of even penetration of microwaves, so that only the superficial layers of the blood were warmed. The dry-heat unit caused by hemolysis in 35 percent of blood samples, possibly because of stagnation of red cells in coil-like recesses, coupled with uneven heat distribution on the heating plates. The water-bath blood warmer produced the least enzyme and electrolyte changes and caused no significant degree of hemolysis.

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