Characteristics of Recently Outdated ACD Blood and Some Determinants of these Characteristics

Twenty samples of outdated ACD blood were characterized by the following determinations: nucleotide composition, osmotic fragility, pH, hematocrit, final glucose concentration, plasma hemoglobin, and plasma K+. In all tests, considerable variability existed among samples. In four samples, these determinations were made daily from day 21 to day 25. In this series there were no consistent daily trends, variability being greater from sample to sample than from day to day. In another study, six stored blood samples from apparently healthy young adults were followed weekly for ATP. Those samples that initially had higher ATP levels retained this differential throughout storage, the rate of ATP breakdown being nearly the same for all samples. Of these samples, those with higher blood ATP levels had faster glycolytic rates.