Why is the shelf life shorter (28 days) with donations from blood relatives, as opposed to non-blood relatives (35 days)?
Donations from blood relatives must be irradiated before use. Irradiation shortens the shelf life by seven days. Irradiation is done to prevent Graft versus Host Disease (GVHD). GVHD is a disease in which the donor’s white blood cells attack or “reject” the patient’s tissues because the donor’s white blood cells identify the patient’s cells as “foreign.” Irradiation prevents the white blood cells in the donor’s blood donation from attacking the patient’s tissues, but leaves the rest of the blood (red blood cells, platelets, plasma, etc.) intact.
