A statistical model for red blood cell survival.

A statistical model for the survival time of red blood cells (RBCs) with a continuous distribution of cell lifespans is presented. The underlying distribution of RBC lifespans is derived from a probability density function with a bathtub-shaped hazard curve, and accounts for death of RBCs due to senescence (age-dependent increasing hazard rate) and random destruction (constant hazard), as well as for death due to initial or delayed failures and neocytolysis (equivalent to early red cell mortality). The model yields survival times similar to those of previously published studies of RBC survival and is easily amenable to inclusion of drug effects and haemolytic disorders.