Distribution of Fresher Blood in a Statewide Blood Program

A change in distribution policy by a central blood bank resulted in greater than three days of additional shelf life of blood at hospitals. This change in distribution policy was temporally associated with a decrease in statewide outdating from 11.9 to 9.2 per cent. The magnitude of the decrease in outdating is similar to that predicted by theoretical studies of the effect of longer shelf life of blood. It is suggested that the prolonged shelf life of blood at hospitals was causal to reduced outdating. This experience, taken with the theoretical studies, indicates that a central blood bank can make a major, beneficial impact on hospital outdating by distributing blood on a date closer to its date of collection.