Plastic chemicals in blood products and transfusion safety
Official title: Does biocompatibility contribute to transfusion-related adverse effects?
Funded at Children's Research Institute · NIH-11310795 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research tests whether chemicals that leach from plastic medical devices make blood transfusions and heart surgery recovery riskier for patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Washington, United States) |
| Project start | January 15, 2018 |
| Project end | November 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $840,473 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL139472-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11310795 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are people undergoing cardiac surgery who may receive blood transfusions, including children and adults treated at the study hospital.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not receive transfusions or are not exposed to medical plastics during care are unlikely to benefit directly from this research.
What this research studies
If you are a patient, this project looks at whether common plastic chemicals in blood bags and tubing harm the heart or blood after surgery. Researchers will combine lab and animal experiments with measurements from human blood samples and clinical data around cardiac surgery to see how exposures affect red blood cell quality and tissue oxygen delivery. The team focuses on phthalates and bisphenols, chemicals known to leach from medical plastics and linked to worse health outcomes in prior studies. The aim is to map the biological steps by which these chemicals could worsen postoperative complications so safer devices or practices can be recommended.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to safer blood products and fewer postoperative complications for people who need transfusions or heart surgery.
How similar studies have gone: Epidemiological studies have linked plastic chemical exposures to higher mortality, but direct causal evidence is limited and combining lab models with patient data is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Research Institute
Washington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Posnack, Nikki Gillum — Children's Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Posnack, Nikki Gillum
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.