Where does blood go after a transfusion?

By Haley Shaw, 2023

Published 10/14/21

Cheshire High School hosted a Blood Drive on Wednesday, October 6. If you donated blood there, you may be wondering where your blood goes after the drive. Donations average 1 liter per person and are kept on ice after the donation is completed. Test vials are also filled with blood and sent to a lab for testing. Blood is later sent to a Red Cross center for processing, where it is separated into red cells, platelets, and plasma in a centrifuge. Red cells and platelets are leuko-reduced, a process that removes white cells to reduce the possibility of reactions. Blood is then stored in multiple ways. Red blood cells are stored in refrigerators for up to 42 days. Platelets are stored in agitators at room temperature for a maximum of 5 days, and plasma is frozen for up to 1 year. Blood is then shipped to hospitals, which use it in patient transfusions.