THE TRANSFUSION OF CENTRIFUGED HUMAN TYPE O CELLS

Abstract

In the past few years there has been a growing use of suspensions of red blood cells for transfusion of selected patients. With the preparation of plasma in many hospital blood banks and the extensive American Red Cross blood procurement program for the armed forces, huge amounts of centrifuged cells remain after the plasma has been withdrawn from the whole citrated blood. Until the comparatively recent and more extensive use of some of these cells for transfusion of patients suffering mainly from anemia, most of these cells have been discarded. It is now recognized that the transfusion of red blood cells can serve as well as whole blood for many patients. The main problem has been to find a solution for resuspension which will preserve the cells for a long enough time to make their use practical. Isotonic solution of sodium chloride has been used extensively but is far from