Eli5: What’s the expiration date of blood once outside the body? (e.g. blood taken for tests donations) What about it’s components?

Question

Eli5: What’s the expiration date of blood once outside the body? (e.g. blood taken for tests donations) What about it’s components?

In: 30

Answer 1

I don’t know about whole blood, but this is what my Red Cross donor app (highly recommend downloading it) says about the components:

* Red cells for 42 days
* Platelets for up to 5 days
* Plasma and cryoprecipitate for one year

But honestly the blood shortage is so bad right now that nothing will get anywhere close to its expiration date before being used, even if you have one of the less universal blood types like B+ or something. The app lets you track your donation as far when processing starts, when testing starts, when storage begins, when it gets used, and which hospital used it. Not who it was used on though, for privacy reasons. My last donation was used within two weeks of being placed in storage.

Whole blood transfusions are less common because they are logistically more complicated. Wikipedia says 21 days but there wasn’t a citation.

Edit: also, since this post is getting some attention and I want to sell people on the concept, the app also has achievements like platelet donation, donating on a holiday, and sharing a blood selfie on social media. You can also see your COVID antibody results and your hemoglobin results. You can schedule appointments easily and do the pre-donation questionnaire from home on your phone to speed up the check-in process.