How much blood can a hospital store

Why does blood cost a hospital?

The cost of blood is therefore primarily due to the expense of processing, storage, and distribution. Hospitals will typically contract with a particularly blood supplier based on (1) per-unit cost to the hospital and (2) quality of service from the blood supplier.

How much do hospitals pay for red blood cells?

In 2019, hospitals paid, on average, $215 per unit of red blood cells, according to data from the 2019 National Blood Collection and Utilization Survey, which asked community-based blood collection centers and hospitals about blood donors, donations and the use of donated blood.

How much do hospitals charge for blood transfusions?

In 2019, hospitals paid blood collection centers about $215 per unit of red blood cells. What hospitals charge patients for transfusions varies, but that figure can be in the thousands of dollars. What patients end up paying out of pocket can vary, depending on their health insurance plans and insurance status.

How long should blood be stored after a blood transfusion?

Most of the blood transfused during the study had been stored for less than 35 days, so it’s still unknown whether blood stored for 35–42 days would be equally safe to use in these patients. Future studies will also need to examine whether red-cell storage duration affects the health of patients who need transfusions for other reasons.

How long do blood cells stay in a long-term storage group?

The long-term storage group received cells stored for 21 days or more based on the standard of care, which is to transfuse the oldest stored blood units first in order to use them before their expiration dates. To track changes in patient health, the researchers used a measure called MODS (Multiple Organ Dysfunction Score).

Do hospitals pay for donated blood?

Donated blood is rarely offered to hospitals for free, she said. The price that blood collection centers charge hospitals also varies across cities and states. Labor costs and office space rents are higher on the coasts, for example, and those costs get passed on to the hospitals, Slate reported in 2006.