Packed red blood cells as anaphylaxis, red blood cell breakdown, infection, volume overload, and lung injury. With current preparation methods in the developed world the risk of viral infections such as hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS are less than one in a million. However, the risks of infection are higher in low income countries. Packed red blood cells are produced from whole blood or by apheresis. They typically last for three to six weeks. The widespread use of packed red blood cells began in the 1960s. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most effective and safe medicines needed in
Red blood cell among the bilayer is the result of the function of several energy-dependent and energy-independent phospholipid transport proteins. Proteins called “Flippases” move phospholipids from the outer to the inner monolayer, while others called “floppases” do the opposite operation, against a concentration gradient in an energy dependent manner. Additionally, there are also “scramblase” proteins that move phospholipids in both directions at the same time, down their concentration gradients in an energy independent manner. There is still considerable debate ongoing regarding the identity of these membrane maintenance proteins in the red cell membrane. The maintenance of an asymmetric phospholipid distribution in the bilayer