Does Blood Need to Be Refrigerated?

Blood must never be stored in domestic or other refrigerators. Blood should be removed, one unit at a time, from the Blood Bank refrigerator only when a transfusion is due to commence within 30 minutes. ... Red cells will be available for collection in the Blood Issue room refrigerator.

How long does blood Keep at room temperature?

2. Whole blood samples should not remain at room temperature longer than 8 hours. If assays are not completed within 8 hours, samples should be stored at +2°C to +8°C no longer than 7 days.

What happens if blood isn't refrigerated?

Depending on the blood's future use, longer storage without refrigerated or frozen temperatures can jeopardize its viability. For example, if stored blood is used in a transfusion, the blood never regains the flexibility that it lost after the three-week mark unrefrigerated in storage.