Background: Intraoperative blood salvage (IBS) procedures include washing with normal saline (NS), which may deplete red blood cell (RBC) nutrients. The mannitol-adenine-phosphate (MAP) solution, commonly used for RBC preservation, provides glycolytic substrates; therefore, MAP should be a better solution than NS in IBS. In this study, we determined whether using MAP could reduce washing-associated RBC damage and destruction.
Study design and methods: Adenine nucleotide contents, RBC morphology, and plasma free hemoglobin (PF-Hb) level of RBCs treated with NS or MAP solution were compared under three conditions: (1) 4-hour preservation of fresh blood from healthy volunteers, (2) collection from the shed blood of patients, and 3) incubation of the collected shed blood with plasma.
Results: Adenine nucleotide level and RBC elongation index were greater and PF-Hb level was lower in MAP groups than NS groups (p < 0.05) after preservation and incubation. In NS, RBCs lost their deformability and became stomatocytes, and even RBC "ghosts" 48 hours after incubation, while they remained normal in MAP solution.
Conclusion: The MAP solution helps preserve RBC morphology and function, and reduces hemolysis, possibly due to improved energy production. Therefore, MAP should replace NS during IBS.
© 2013 American Association of Blood Banks.