Without proper procedures in the blood bank refrigerator, safety of the blood supply is compromised.

Today’s blood donation process is a model of safety and security, from donor screening to storing in a blood bank refrigerator, every step is designed to ensure the sterility of the collection.  A 1967 paper provides an example of the motivation for all that work.  The paper describes the case of a woman who lost blood during the delivery of her first child.  She was given two replacement units, but became sick during the second transfusion and died just a few hours later.  The cause was tracked down to contamination from the second transfusion.  The second bottle had been removed from the refrigerator and left at room temp for several hours—after it had been punctured.  Reason enough for instituting strict procedures.