Warming of Blood Units in Water Bath and Cooling of Blood at Room Temperature

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Abstract
Warming of whole blood units in a waterbath is considered too slow for emergencies and also results in a waste of blood. In this study the blood temperature was recorded continuously during warming in various kinds of baths.The warming of + 5°C CPD blood units (500 g) in a bucket of water was considerably slower than in a stirred and thermostated (+ 39.5°C) water bath, where the blood temperature reached +35°C in 13.4 min. Addition of continuous mechanical agitation of the blood unit raised the temperature to +32°C in 5.0 min, and to + 35°C in 6.6 min. This should be sufficient for most clinical situations. Agitation did not cause significant hemolysis when compared with units warmed without agitation.The cooling rate of warmed blood (+ 37°C) at room temperature (+ 21°C) was also studied experimentally. The temperature of the blood units fell 3°C in 5 min and 5°C in 15 min. Cooling of blood simultaneously in the bag, microfilter and transfusion set resulted in an infusion temperature of +32°C at the end of the transfusion with a flow rate of 85 g/min. Thus, blood units should be warmed immediately before use. Insulation of the transfusion set may also be practicable.