The Effects of Continuous—Flow Washing on Stored Red Blood Cells

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Abstract
Whole blood and packed cells stored up to 21 days prior to being washed by a continuous‐flow (CF) technic or by batch washing (BW) were found to have an average posttransfusion survival of greater than 70 per cent. CF‐washed red blood cells stored in 5 per cent dextrose and 0.9 per cent saline (5% D&S) wash solution for 24 hours had an average survival of 86 per cent. An average plasma protein dilution of 1:25,000 was obtained with the CF technic as compared to 1:600 with the conventional BW technic. A series of bloods were inoculated either with plasma containing hepatitis‐associated antigen (HAA), cytomegalovirus (CMV) or poliovirus (PVS) and then washed. CMV could not be detected by plaque assay in the washed red blood cells nor could HAA by immunodiffusion, counterimmunoelectrophoresis or radio‐immune assay. The poliovirus‐inoculated washed red blood cells had a marked reduction of the virus when washed by the CF technic as compared to the BW cells. Red blood cells washed by the CF technic did not induce a rise in an AHF inhibitor when transfused into a hemophilic patient with a circulating inhibitor.