What happens to donated blood?

Are you wondering what happens to your blood after you donate it? Is it frozen for a longer period? How long can it be stored? Blood’s rather short storage life is one of the things that make it such a valuable resource.

After a donation, the donated blood is separated into its components: erythrocytes (red blood cells), thrombocytes (platelets) and plasma. Patients are only given the type of blood components they need.

The regional blood transfusion services store the blood components, which are called blood products, until the hospitals need them. The storage life of blood products varies.

• Red cell concentrates (erythrocytes) can be stored for a maximum of 49 days at 2–6 °C. These products are used, for example, when patients undergo a sudden, severe blood loss or in the treatment of blood disease.
• Thrombocyte concentrates (platelets) can be stored at room temperature for a maximum of 7 days. In Switzerland, thrombocyte concentrates are primarily given to people with a platelet disorder whose bodies do not produce enough platelets, such as leukaemia patients.
• Plasma (freshly frozen) can be stored at -30 °C for a maximum of two years. Plasma is used for large volume transfusions and in the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

The limited storage life of blood calls for careful planning on the part of the regional blood transfusion services, with the aim of ensuring that sufficient reserves of blood are always available while also avoiding a blood product surplus. If the reserves of one or more blood types start to run low in one region, the transfusion service there can launch an appeal to donors with the relevant type(s) and obtain assistance from other regional blood transfusion services.

You can contribute to this worthwhile planning. The Blood Supply Barometer shows how much blood of each type is currently being stored in Switzerland. You can use it to check the state of the reserves of your blood type and plan your blood donation accordingly.