Red blood cell function and blood storage

Red blood cells are ideal vehicles for delivering oxygen to tissues, but th eir functions deteriorate during liquid preservation. In this article, we r eview the role of red blood cells in oxygen delivery and methods to evaluat e the effectiveness of red blood cell transfusion. Quantitative estimation of transfusion effects could avoid unnecessary transfusion and reduce the r isk of transfusion-associated disorders. We also describe the benefits of t ransfusion of red blood cells having a higher oxygen-delivering capacity. P hosphoenolpyruvate is a promising component to prepare red blood cells havi ng a higher oxygen-delivering capacity. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Ba sel.