Effective 1 November 2026, the Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS) will improve cold chain management of all group O red cell and whole blood products by introducing Timestrip indicators on issued products (Timestrip-covered-products).
The Timestrip indicator is a small, single-use label attached to the blood pack to track elapsed time and monitor a temperature breach. Blood Bank staff will affix and activate the label when preparing the blood pack for issue, and it will no longer be necessary to attach the product to the hamper with a cable tie.
Advantages of Timestrip indicators include effective monitoring of cold-chain breaches; reduced blood discard due to warm returns leading to cost savings; conservation of scarce group O blood resources; and a knock-on effect of increased awareness of the importance of maintaining the cold chain.
If the blood pack temperature exceeds 10 °C within 1 hour of issue, the indicator will turn blue, making the blood pack unsafe for transfusion. If the cold chain is maintained between 2 °C and 10 °C, the indicator will remain clear, confirming the pack is safe for transfusion.
The instructions on how to read the Timestrip indicator label are as follows.
Inactive product:
Before activation the activation indication window is yellow.
Active product:
After activation the activation indication window turns dark green, confirming monitoring has begun.
Triggered product:
If the temperature of the blood pack remains at 2-10 oC, the temperature breach window remains white (safe/normal).
If the temperature of the blood pack exceeds 10 oC, the temperature breach window turns blue meaning the blood pack will not be suitable for transfusion, and must be discarded.
If a breach in temperature occurred, return the pack to the Blood Bank for discarding.
Unused Timestrip-covered-products with no temperature breach can be returned to the Blood Bank for re-entry into the general blood supply if the following acceptance criteria are met: (1) the blood is returned within 24 hours from the time issued; (2) the Timestrip indicator remains clear (unchanged).
To avoid a temperature breach, always ensure that the hamper lid remains tightly sealed. Upon receipt of blood in the ward, open the hamper to check contents, then immediately close the lid tightly. Only remove one unit of blood at a time from the hamper when the transfusion is about to commence, then immediately close the lid tightly.
Kindly note that all other blood groups will not carry a Timestrip indicator (non-Timestrip-covered-products), and will continue to be secured in the hamper with a cable tie. The Blood Bank blood return acceptance criteria for non-Timestrip-covered-products remains the same: (1) blood is returned within 24 hours from the time issued; (2) the temperature is between 2-10 oC; (3) cable ties are intact.
WCBS recommends that every ward staff member who administers blood and blood products should receive documented training on how to handle Timestrip-covered products, as this will need to form part of pre-transfusion bedside checks.
To request a training session about Timestrip-covered-products, or for more information, contact your closest Blood Bank.
