Australian Red Cross Blood Service

Blood components and products are usually transported under the same temperature conditions as they are stored.

We use cardboard boxes with thermal insulation inserts and various configurations of frozen and chilled coolant packs.

We use these boxes, insulation inserts and packs so we can maintain the correct temperature for transporting red cells, platelets, frozen plasma components, and fractionated blood products.

We have validated these transport boxes for various transport times and environmental temperatures.

These validations ensure that contents of the boxes are maintained at the correct temperature for the duration of the anticipated transport time.

We may use a data logger to continually record the internal temperature for shipments that come close to the validated limits of these boxes.

You can be assured that contents of the box have remained within specification in the event that a shipment has been in transit for more than the validated time.

If the data logger shows that temperature specifications have exceeded, we can analyse the data and make a judgement on the suitability of the contents for use.

Many laboratories use our shipper for transporting blood components and fractionated products between laboratories and hospitals. You should ensure that they are packed using one of the validated packing configurations when doing this.

Where other shippers are used to transport blood components and fractionated products, we recommended that the shipper is validated for the appropriate time and conditions.

For hospitals without a laboratory on site and who wish to return unused blood or transfer the blood with the patient to another hospital, please consult with your transfusion service provider and ask for instructions on packing the blood component or fractionated product.