The key difference between whole blood and packed cell is that the whole blood is the blood obtained from a standard blood donation and contains the plasma, white blood cells, and red blood cells, while the packed cells are the red blood cells separated from the centrifugation of whole blood.
There are different types of blood replacements available when a patient needs a blood transfusion. Whole blood and packed cells are two products among these varieties. Whole blood is the blood that someone donates during a standard blood donation program. Therefore, it contains all the components of blood. Packed cells are the red blood cells separated by centrifugation of whole blood. Packed cells are useful when the patient has lost a lot of blood or when he has anaemia. Before a blood transfusion, it will be helpful if people are aware of the difference between whole blood and packed cell.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Whole Blood
3. What is Packed Cell
4. Similarities Between Whole Blood and Packed Cell
5. Side by Side Comparison – Whole Blood vs Packed Cell in Tabular Form
6. Summary
What is Whole Blood?
Whole blood is the human blood the blood banks receive from a standard blood donation. It contains red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and blood plasma. After collecting the whole blood, storing it correctly under proper conditions is very vital.
Figure 01: Whole Blood
The whole blood can be used for blood transfusion. But, it is not typically given unless the patient needs a massive amount of blood. Because, transfusion of whole blood can cause several side effects, including allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis, red blood cell breakdown, high blood potassium, infection, volume overload, and lung injury, etc.
What is Packed Cell?
Packed cells, also called packed red blood cells, are red blood cells separated for blood transfusion. Unlike whole blood, packed cells are typically given in many transfusions. Centrifugation of whole blood is the process that helps to separate packed cells. Furthermore, in packed cells, the amount of plasma is very less compared to whole blood.
Figure 02: Packed Cells
When patients show anaemic symptoms, this is the preferable blood transfusion method. However, packed cell transfusion can also cause side effects such as allergic reactions like anaphylaxis, red blood cell breakdown, infection, volume overload, lung injury, etc.
What are the Similarities Between Whole Blood and Packed Cell?
- Whole blood and packed cell are two blood replacements.
- We store both under the same conditions.
- Also, both are useful in emergency conditions.
- However, transfusion of both whole blood and packed cells can cause several similar side effects.
What is the Difference Between Whole Blood and Packed Cell?
Whole blood is the blood someone donates during a standard blood donation. Packed cells are the red blood cells separated from the whole blood by centrifugation. So, this is the key difference between whole blood and packed cell. Furthermore, another significant difference between whole blood and packed cell is that the whole blood contains the plasma, white blood cells, platelets and red blood cells, but the packed cells contain only red blood cells.
Moreover, the whole blood is not typically transfused unless the patient needs a massive amount of blood. On the other hand, we use packed cells in many situations. Usage wise, this is an important difference between whole blood and packed cell.
Summary – Whole Blood vs Packed Cell
It is possible to use whole blood or packed cells for blood transfusions. However, whole blood contains the plasma, white blood cells, platelets and red blood cells as it is the blood that someone donates during the standard blood donation. But, packed cells are the red blood cells we separate from whole blood. So, this is the key difference between whole blood and packed cell.
Reference:
1.Whitlock, Jennifer, and Msn. “Why Packed Red Blood Cells Are Used in Transfusions.” Verywell Health, Verywell Health, 29 Apr. 2019, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “BloodDonationRedCross” By Whoisjohngalt at English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Blausen 0086 Blood Bag” By Blausen.com staff (2014). “Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014”. WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 2002-4436. – Own work (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia