Ascorbic acid levels in stored blood and in patients undergoing surgery after blood transfusion.

Blood was obtained from 11 healthy voluteers, mixed with two standard types of anticoagulant used in blood transfusion centres and stored for 21-28 days at 4 degrees C. Leucocyte ascorbic acid (LAA) fell to deficient levels after 7 days in all cases. There were no corresponding changes in plasma ascorbic acid (PAA) levels. LAA and PAA were measured before, during and after surgery in 5 control patients who underwent definitive operations for benign peptic ulceration and in 4 patients under-going surgery for bleeding peptic ulceration. The average amount of blood administered to the latter group was 10 units. There was a fall in LAA and PAA in both groups of patients after operation. This fall had returned to normal by 7 days in the controls, but the LAA remained at a deficient level at 7 days in the patients who had bled. Deficient ascorbic acid in stored blood may contribute to low leucocyte ascorbic acid levels in patients after blood transfusion and may contribute to the increased complication rate when surgery is undertaken in these patients.