Before giving blood transfusion a nurse must note the date, time of collection and must be aware that Packed RBC's can be stored up to

Appeared in: JIPMER Nursing Officer-2017

Explanation

35 days, which is the standard shelf life for Packed Red Blood Cells (PRBCs) when stored with the anticoagulant-preservative solution CPDA-1 (Citrate-Phosphate-Dextrose-Adenine).
While other solutions exist, CPDA-1 is widely used, and its 35-day storage period is a critical piece of knowledge for safe transfusion practice.
Modern additive solutions can extend the storage to 42 days, but since this is not an option, 35 days is the best answer representing a common standard.

Option A: 25 days is not a standard storage duration for PRBCs. It falls between the 21-day limit for CPD solution and the 35-day limit for CPDA-1.
Option C: 45 days exceeds the maximum approved storage time for liquid-stored PRBCs. The longest duration is 42 days with the use of special additive solutions.
Option D: 55 days is significantly beyond the safe and effective storage period for PRBCs. Transfusing blood this old would be dangerous due to hemolysis, potassium leakage, and loss of function.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Safe nursing care depends on performing Storage duration of Packed Red Blood Cells (PRBCs) in the correct sequence, documenting the action clearly, and monitoring for the expected response.
A nurse's primary responsibility is patient safety. Knowing the correct storage time for blood products is crucial to prevent administering expired blood, which can lead to ineffective treatment and severe transfusion reactions.
Always physically check the expiration date on the blood bag as part of the pre-transfusion verification process with another nurse. Do not rely on assumptions.
What if the blood bag label indicates an additive solution like SAGM is used? The nurse should then be aware the expiration could be up to 42 days from the collection date, and verify this against the date on the bag.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core of the question, which is asking for the storage duration of Packed RBCs.
Recall your knowledge of blood component therapy. Remember that the storage time is not fixed but depends on the preservative solution used.
Think of the common preservatives and their associated shelf lives: CPD (21 days), CPDA-1 (35 days), and Additive Solutions (42 days).
Compare these standard durations with the options provided (25, 35, 45, 55 days).
Select the option that matches a known, standard storage period. In this case, 35 days is a direct match for the CPDA-1 standard.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Storage duration of Packed Red Blood Cells (PRBCs)
Stem keywords: Packed RBC's, stored up to, blood transfusion
Lead-in keywords: NOT
Negative lead-in flag: NOT changes the reasoning strategy; look for the exception or incorrect statement rather than the true statement.

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