I am looking for an article on the potassium levels in stored units of red blood cells. I have read some articles regarding trasnfusion of "fresher" RBC to patients having cardiac surgery. However, I don't remember the sources.

Thanks for your help!

Merry Christmas to All ............

I wrote one a while back, I shall look for it and send it.

Merry Christmas!!!

Here it is: An unusual case of hyperkalaemia-induced cardiac arrest in a paediatric patient during transfusion of a 'fresh' 6-day-old blood unit.

Baz EM, Kanazi GE, Mahfouz RA, Obeid MY.

Transfus Med. 2002 Dec;12(6):383-6.

PMID: 12473156 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12473156

Check the AABB Technical Manual or find a copy of Mollison - they have charts with lots of biochemical changes/storage time.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12473156

Liz - I gave your article a "quck" glance . . . possible that the irradiation induced the increased K+?

Yes indeed Dave, however, as the article states and compared to the literature the level of K+ even for an irradiated unit was much too elevated for the age of the unit. Based on the AABB, etc, one can have the unit in storage for up to 28 days after irradiation or until expiry which ever comes first. Following this incident, we now irradiate inhouse just before release.