AUTOLOGOUS CORD-BLOOD TRANSFUSION

Newborn piglets were exsanguinated (60% of blood volume) and retransfu sed 1 h later. One test group received adult pig red blood cells, the other piglet cord blood cells; controls were infused with plasma. Whil e all controls died, satisfactory results were achieved in piglets tra nsfused with either adult or foetal blood. The feasibility of collecti ng human cord blood for transfusion was assessed in 100 samples of hum an cord blood. Blood was collected aseptically and aerobic and anaerob ic cultures set up. All samples of cord blood were sterile, and all we re Mycoplasma negative. Coagulation parameters were analysed in eight cord plasma samples stored at -20 degrees C for 45 days. No significan t abnormalities were found immediately after birth or after storage.