Red blood cells (RBCs) from cord blood contain fetal hemoglobin that is predominant in newborns and, therefore, may be more\r\nappropriate for neonatal transfusions than currently transfused adult RBCs. Post-collection, cord blood can be stored at room\r\ntemperature for several days before it is processed for stem cells isolation, with little known about how these conditions affect\r\ncurrently discarded RBCs. The present study examined the effect of the duration cord blood spent at room temperature and other\r\ncord blood characteristics on cord RBC quality. RBCs were tested immediately after their isolation from cord blood using a broad\r\npanel of quality assays. No significant decrease in cord RBC quality was observed during the first 65 hours of storage at room\r\ntemperature. The ratio of cord blood to anticoagulant was associated with RBC quality and needs to be optimized in future. This\r\nknowledge will assist in future development of cord RBC transfusion product.
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