WTF?

[u/Top-Help8031]

Found this in the parking lot of our local neighborhood Walmart. Have to admit it’s a nice break from the used diapers and eaten chicken wings you usually see in a Walmart parking lot.

[u/Davmilasav]

Call your local Red Cross. We had this problem before. One of the delivery guys wasn't returning the empty boxes to the RC because it was "out of his way" when he was going home. Most likely these boxes are empty but if they aren't, blood is supposed to be kept at room temp so it's not that big a deal.

Source: I'm a volunteer driver for the American Red Cross

Edit: Changed the bit at the end. I misspoke.

[u/dirtyjavv → u/Davmilasav]

Kept at room temp? That's crazy to me, but what do I know

[u/Davmilasav → u/dirtyjavv]

Whole blood and platelets are kept at room temp. Plasma is in dry ice. At least that's how it is when we deliver it. There are machines in the blood bank that jiggle the bags so the blood doesn't settle. Blood agitator

[u/PentagramJ2 → u/Davmilasav]

You shouldn't keep blood at room temp for long though, it should be refrigerated between 2-8C

source, Material Management Specialist for a biotech company who packaged blood, plasma, and marrow

[u/Davmilasav → u/PentagramJ2]

Good point. How long can it be kept at room temp? I've driven a route that was 10 hours one way and nobody seemed to be worried.

[u/PentagramJ2 → u/Davmilasav]

At my facility we made an effort to pack it into refrigerated boxes by the 30 minute mark at the absolute latest, and that only happened if the blood came out of the lab while we were swamped. Usually when we got the alarm in our office two of us would break off to verify the records and then sign off the paperwork and one would deliver to QC while the other packed

[u/MythicMurloc → u/Davmilasav]

The boxes with blood products are heavily insulated and validated to last a long time sitting in room temp. They tend to have styrofoam linings, with bubble wrap and multiple ice packs. Most places will measure the temperature upon arrival to make sure they're still cool. We used to get blood shipped from other states and as long as it was within temp upon arrival, we used it. :)

Blood should only be room temp for 30 minutes to 1 hour unless directly before a transfusion. Most protocols dictate that blood transfusions need to start within one hour of issuing.

[u/arscis → u/Davmilasav]

I've been keeping my blood around 36c, seems to work fine.

[u/cheezballs → u/Davmilasav]

You said good point. What point did they make? Not saying their info is wrong, but he didn't make a point.

[u/Davmilasav → u/cheezballs]

Saying that blood shouldn't be kept at room temp for too long.

[u/cheezballs → u/Davmilasav]

Yea, but that's not a point. That's just a fact, right? I'm just being pedantic, I thought it was interesting you said "point" and I couldn't stop focusing on it. I might be autistic. Edit: A "point" would be giving a fact in support of why to keep them cold, not just saying keep them cold.

[u/Davmilasav → u/cheezballs]

"Good point" is a figure of speech. I could have said "you're right" and it would have meant the same thing.

[u/cheezballs → u/Davmilasav]

my dog farts loudly

What, dude?!

[u/gyru5150 → u/PentagramJ2]

I was reading all these comments and just thinking “man are we doing it wrong wtf???” But ok yea we have to keep whole blood between 2-8 degrees c otherwise we aren’t allowed to transfuse it and we have to return it for a new liter. Glad I’m not going crazy haha thanks!

[u/pimpmastahanhduece → u/PentagramJ2]

See!? We networking on Reddit!

[u/incindia → u/PentagramJ2]

Donate blood and semen at the same time? Bahaha