The technique of freezing red blood cells at minus 80 degrees Celsius by the blood bank, which helps store blood for 10 years, frequently helps save patients with rare blood types. How it is doneAfter getting blood from voluntary donors, red blood cells are separated and mixed with glycerol, which enables preservation for 10 years, Dũng said. Without this technique, red blood cells are stored for 28 to 42 days at 2-6 degrees Celsius. Storing frozen red blood cells costs much more than storing blood normally, and patients have to pay extra when they get blood. Dũng suggested that health insurance should also cover the cost of frozen red blood cells.

Source: Viet Nam News February 22, 2017 02:01 UTC