Management of young blood donors.

The emphasis on high-school blood drives and acceptance of 16-year-old blood donors led to more research on physiologic and psychological ways to decrease vasovagal reaction rates in young blood donors and to increase donor retention. Research on how to accomplish this has been advantageous for the blood collection industry and blood donors. This review discussed the current situation and what can be done psychologically, physiologically, and via process improvements to decrease vasovagal reaction rates and increase donor retention.

Increased all-cause and cancer mortality in HTLV-II infection.

Background: Human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV)-I and HTLV-II cause chronic human retroviral infections, but few studies have examined the impact of either virus on survival among otherwise healthy individuals. The authors analyzed all-cause and cancer mortality in a prospective cohort of 155 HTLV-I, 387 HTLV-II, and 799 seronegative subjects.

Methods: Vital status was ascertained using death certificates, the US Social Security Death Index or family report, and causes of death were grouped into 9 categories.

The American Red Cross donor hemovigilance program: complications of blood donation reported in 2006.

Background: The American Red Cross (ARC) initiated a comprehensive donor hemovigilance program in 2003. We provide an overview of reported complications after whole blood (WB), apheresis platelet (PLT), or automated red cell (R2) donation and analyze factors contributing to the variability in reported complication rates in our national program.

Study Design And Methods: Complications recorded at the collection site or reported after allogeneic WB, apheresis PLT, and R2 donation procedures in 36 regional blood centers in 2006 were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression.

The effect of whole-blood donor adverse events on blood donor return rates.

Background: Some blood donation-related adverse events (AEs) can negatively impact the blood donor return rate (BDRR) and decrease donor retention.

Study Design And Methods: One-thousand randomly selected whole-blood donors were interviewed 3 weeks after a 525-mL index whole-blood donation for seven AEs. The number of return visits and duration of follow-up were recorded for each of the 1000 donors.

Blood donor complications after whole-blood donation.

Purpose Of Review: This review focuses on the common and uncommon adverse events that occur during or after whole-blood donation. The incidence of seeking outside medical care for an adverse event is at least 1 in 3400 blood donations. Physicians may encounter blood donors with adverse events and should be familiar with their prognosis and treatment.

Whole-blood donation: blood donor suitability and adverse events.

Approximately 3% to 3.5% of the US population donates whole blood each year. Physicians might be approached by a blood donor because of a donor suitability issue, a positive postdonation test, or a donation-related complication.

Vasovagal reaction rates and body weight: findings in high- and low-risk populations.

Background: The effect of weight on vasovagal reaction rates has not been evaluated in high- and low-risk populations or in first-time versus repeat blood donors. In addition, vasovagal reaction rates and weight have not been evaluated based on solicited information.

Study Design And Methods: A total of 1073 Caucasian high school students from randomly selected whole-blood drives in 2001 and 949 randomly selected Caucasian donors from the general donor population in 2001 and 2002 were subdivided into weight groups and evaluated for vasovagal reaction rates.

Adverse effects in blood donors after whole-blood donation: a study of 1000 blood donors interviewed 3 weeks after whole-blood donation.

Background: There are no reports in the transfusion medicine literature that describe adverse reactions and donor arm injuries after whole-blood donation based on solicited information.

Study Design And Methods: The present study solicited adverse reaction and donor arm injury information from 1000 randomly selected whole-blood donors approximately 3 weeks after the whole-blood donation. Two 16-gauge phlebotomy needles in use were also compared.