Blood donation

General information

Among the various adverse reactions to blood donation, vasovagal syncope and convulsive reactions are of concern to collection centers, as they may alarm potential first-time donors. First-time donors have a higher frequency of these reactions (1.7%) than repeat donors (0.2%), and donors who have such reactions donate fewer times than those without reactions [ ]. Donors who react are generally of lower weight and have slightly lower blood pressure than those who do not. Of the relevant social and psychological factors that have been studied, the ingestion of caffeinated beverages and shortening the duration between registration and time of phlebotomy are associated with a reduced risk of reactions [ ].

Apheresis procedures are considered to be relatively safe when performed by experienced personnel. However, they are not without dangers, and there are some health risks to both patients and donors. Not unexpectedly, the risks are greater with therapeutic plasmapheresis on account of the underlying disease, with an estimated 3 deaths per 10 000 procedures [ ].

Organs and systems