Transfusion of two-week-old blood could prove fatal for heart patients

London, Mar 20 : Using blood that has been stored for more han a period of two weeks may prove fatal for heart surgery atients, finds a new major study.

The research was conducted by doctors at the Cleveland Clinic in hio, who found that transfusions with blood stored for more than wo weeks were could raise the death risk for patients by nearly 6percent.

he researchers came up with their findings after surveying more han 9,000 heart patients.

Lead researcher Colleen Koch said that recipients of older blood re more at risk from blood poisoning and organ failure.

She told the New Scientist that the study showed the need for tored blood to be classified as outdated earlier than what is he current norm.

"Blood should be classified as outdated earlier than current ecommendations," New Scientist quoted her, as saying.

Koch says that the reason blooded stored for more than two weeks ay prove to be fatal is because at this stage, stored red blood ells begin to break down, making them more likely to block blood essels while reducing their capacity to carry oxygen.

"This research suggests that the longer transfused blood has been tored, the greater the risk of complications following cardiac urgery," says Peter Weissberg of the UK charity, the British eart Foundation.

He added: "Together, these studies suggest that only those heart atients whose lives are at serious risk without a transfusion hould receive blood."

"Further research is urgently needed to clarify the indications or transfusion and the effects of blood storage on outcome." ANI)

ANI