Blood Groups and Storage in Blood Banking

Blood banking has an important role in modern medicine, ensuring safe and compatible blood for transfusions.

Blood Groups: An Overview

1. ABO Blood Group System

• Rh Factor
  • The Rh factor determines blood is positive or negative. Rh positive has D antigen.

Blood Collection and Storage

Blood is collected from donors and stored for future use. Proper storage is crucial to maintain the viability of blood products.

Here’s how it’s done:

1. Collection Containers

Blood is collected from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bags. These bags are designed to minimize contamination.

2. Preservatives

Blood preservatives are added to the collection bags to enhance the shelf life of the blood. Common preservatives include:

• Citrate Phosphate Dextrose is used to store whole blood and red blood cells, allowing for preservation up to 21 days.
• Adding Additive Solutions after the separation process, extending storage up to 42 days.
  • Sodium citrate is commonly used to prevent clotting  in storage.

Also read : NEET PG High Yield Questions for Pathology

Blood Collection Tubes and Anticoagulants & Colour coding

Types of Collection Tubes

1. Lavender/Purple Cap: Additive:(EDTA), used for Hematology tests (e.g, complete blood count), blood smears.
   • It acts as an anticoagulant to prevent clotting.
2. Red Cap: Additive: No additive, Used for Serology tests, blood bank testing.
   • Helps blood to clot, separating serum from cells after centrifugation.
3. Gold Cap: Additive: Gel separator and clot activator.
   • Used for Serum tests (e.g., chemistry panels).
   • It Separates serum from cells after clotting and centrifugation.
4. Light Blue Cap: Additive: Sodium citrate used in  Coagulation tests (e.g., PT, aPTT).
   • It is  an anticoagulant, preserving coagulation factors.
5. Green cap: Additive: Heparin (sodium or lithium) , used in  Plasma tests, especially for chemistry.
   • It Prevents clotting, allowing for plasma collection.
6. Gray cap: Additive: Sodium fluoride and potassium oxalate
   • Used for  Glucose testing, lactate, and alcohol levels.
7. Yellow cap:  Additive: ACD (Acid Citrate Dextrose) or SPS (Sodium Polyanethole Sulfonate)
   • Uses: Blood cultures (SPS) and tissue typing (ACD).
   • ACD preserves red blood cells, while SPS prevents clotting for culture tests.
8. Black Cap: Additive: Sodium citrate (with a specific ratio to blood)
   • Used for Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).
   • It is  Specifically designed for sedimentation tests 

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 Storage Conditions

Blood products are stored in controlled temperature environments:

• Platelets: Stored at room temperature (20-24°C) with gentle agitation to prevent clumping.
• Plasma: Frozen and stored at -18°C or lower to preserve clotting factors.
• Red Blood Cells: Stored at 1-6°C to maintain viability.

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