Development, validation, and potential applications of biotinylated red blood cells for posttransfusion kinetics and other physiological studies: evidenced‐based analysis and recommendations

The current reference method in the United States for measuring in vivo population red blood cell (RBC) kinetics utilizes chromium‐51 ( 51 Cr) RBC labeling for determining RBC volume, 24‐hour posttransfusion RBC recovery, and long‐term RBC survival. Here we provide evidence supporting adoption of a method for kinetics that uses the biotin‐labeled RBCs (BioRBCs) as a superior, versatile method for both regulatory and investigational purposes. RBC...