Where is donated blood stored?
Published On: Jan 18 2013 08:00:47 AM PST
Updated On: Feb 01 2013 08:56:25 AM PST
After you donate blood you might wonder what happens to it until it is needed by a patient.
After the blood donation is tested, blood suitable for transfusion is labeled and stored.
According to the American Red Cross, red cells are stored in refrigerators at 6-degrees Celsius for up to 42 days.
Platelets are stored at room temperature in agitators for a maximum of five days, the Red Cross states on its web site.
The Red Cross says that plasma and cryo are stored in freezers for up to a year.