Storing Factor and Supplies
A person with a bleeding disorder must keep track of what infusion supplies he has on hand. By keeping a count of supplies used and their expiration dates, he can order more before he runs out. Each box should be checked as it arrives and the shipper called if a bottle is broken.
Factor bottles come with product inserts which tell how to store them. Some brands of factor are stored in the refrigerator while others can be stored at room temperature. Factor should not be allowed to get hot. Hot temperatures may cause mixing problems or cause the factor to lose strength. Even factor that can be stored at room temperature may need to be carried in a cooler when traveling in hot weather. Bottles of factor should not be frozen because they might break.
Before infusion, the powdered factor is mixed with diluent. Diluent is either sterile water or sterile saline. Mixing the powder with the liquid is called reconstitution.
The product insert or bottle label will tell how long the factor can be kept at room temperature after it is mixed up. Some must be used right away and some can stay at room temperature for a couple of hours. A person can get a severe blood infection if he takes factor which has been sitting out for three hours or more. However, a person should call his HTC before throwing away any factor for any reason. Factor costs too much to throw out unless truly necessary.
The sterile water to mix with the factor powder can be stored at either room temperature or in the refrigerator. If it is kept in the refrigerator, it has to be warmed up to room temperature before it is mixed with the factor powder. Freezing the sterile water may cause the bottle to break.
In the car, factor should be in a cooled container in a cool part of the car. Factor and infusion supplies should be taken as “carry-on” luggage on an airplane. If it is put in checked baggage, it could be lost or get too hot.