Transporting Blood to Remote Areas: The Impact of Blood Shaker Machine Vibration on the Quality of Erythrocytes, Hemoglobin, and Lactate Dehydrogenase Levels

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Effective transportation of blood is essential for ensuring accessible and high-quality blood for transfusion. However, vibration can have a negative impact on blood quality, leading to the loss of erythrocytes and hemoglobin. The aim of the study was to analyse the effect of different vibration exposures for 15 minutes on erythrocyte, haemoglobin and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels of blood samples.

METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted on blood donors at the Semarang, Central Java, unit vehicle of the Indonesian Red Cross. Blood samples were collected from donors and exposed to different vibration frequencies for 15 minutes. The erythrocyte, hemoglobin, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels of the blood samples were then measured. Tests were carried out on three treatment groups, namely control, 6 Hz vibration, and 11 Hz with 30 bags of blood tested with each treatment group of 10 samples.

RESULTS: The results showed that vibration had a significant impact on the integrity of erythrocytes and hemoglobin in whole blood. The group exposed to 6 Hz vibration had significantly lower erythrocyte levels than the control group and the group exposed to 11 Hz vibration. The hemoglobin levels after treatment also varied significantly between treatment cohorts, with significantly lower hemoglobin levels observed in the 11 Hz vibration group compared to both the control group and the 6 Hz vibration group. In addition, there was a significant difference between the LDH levels of the various groups following treatment.

CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggested that vibration can have a negative impact on blood quality, leading to the loss of erythrocytes and hemoglobin. To protect blood product integrity and reduce the risk of transfusion-related losses, it is essential to implement appropriate vibration mitigation strategies during blood product transport.