Use of a rapid electronic survey methodology to estimate blood donors' potential exposure to emerging infectious diseases: Application of a statistically representative sampling methodology to assess risk in US blood centers.

Unlabelled: Risk assessments of transfusion-transmitted emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are complicated by the fact that blood donors' demographics and behaviors can be different from the general population. Therefore, when assessing potential blood donor exposure to EIDs, the use of general population characteristics, such as U.S.

Genetic and behavioral modification of hemoglobin and iron status among first-time and high-intensity blood donors.

Background: Some people rapidly develop iron deficiency anemia following blood donation, while others can repeatedly donate without becoming anemic.

Methods: Two cohorts of blood donors were studied. Participants (775) selected from a 2-year longitudinal study were classified into six analysis groups based on sex, donation intensity, and low hemoglobin deferral.

The epidemiology of platelet transfusions: an analysis of platelet use at 12 US hospitals.

Background: Using the Recipient and Donor Epidemiology Study-III (REDS-III) recipient and donor databases, we performed a retrospective analysis of platelet use in 12 US hospitals that were participants in REDS-III.

Study Design And Methods: Data were electronically extracted from participating transfusion service and blood center computer systems and from medical records of the 12 REDS-III hospitals. All platelet transfusions from 2013 to 2016 given to patients aged 18 years and older were included in the analysis.

Equivalent inpatient mortality among direct-acting oral anticoagulant and warfarin users presenting with major hemorrhage.

Background: Extrapolation of clinical trial results comparing warfarin and direct-acting oral anticoagulant (DOAC) users experiencing major hemorrhage to clinical care is challenging due to differences seen among non-randomized oral anticoagulant users, bleed location, and etiology. We hypothesized that inpatient all-cause-mortality among patients presenting with major hemorrhage differed based on the home-administered anticoagulant medication class, DOAC versus warfarin.

Methods: More than 1.

Therapeutic impact of red blood cell transfusion on anemic outpatients: the RETRO study.

Background: Patients with cancer or other diagnoses associated with chronic anemia often receive red blood cell (RBC) transfusion as outpatients, but the effect of transfusion on functional status is not well demonstrated.

Study Design And Methods: To estimate the effect of transfusion on functional status and quality of life, we measured 6-minute walk test distance and fatigue- and dyspnea-related quality-of-life scores before and 1 week after RBC transfusion in 208 outpatients age ≥50 with at least one benign or malignant hematology/oncology diagnosis. To account for potential confounding effects of cancer treatment, patients were classified into two groups based on cancer treatment within 4 weeks of the study transfusion.

Elevated risk for iron depletion in high-school age blood donors.

Background: High school students 16 to 18 years-old contribute 10% of the US blood supply. Mitigating iron depletion in these donors is important because they continue to undergo physical and neurocognitive development.

Study Design And Methods: Study objectives were to determine the prevalence of iron depletion in 16- to 18-year-old donors and whether their risk for iron depletion was greater than adult donors.

Impact of frequent apheresis blood donation on bone density: A prospective, longitudinal, randomized, controlled trial.

Background: Blood for transfusion is lifesaving and essential to many elements of modern medical practice. The global blood supply relies on volunteer blood donors. Apheresis is increasingly used to collect blood and requires anticoagulant to prevent extracorporeal coagulation.

Piloting and implementation of quality assessment and quality control procedures in RBC-Omics: a large multi-center study of red blood cell hemolysis during storage.

Background: The major aims of the RBC-Omics study were to evaluate the genomic and metabolomic determinants of spontaneous and stress-induced hemolysis during RBC storage. This study was unique in scale and design to allow evaluation of RBC donations from a sufficient number of donors across the spectrum of race, ethnicity, sex, and donation intensity. Study procedures were carefully piloted, optimized, and controlled to enable high-quality data collection.

Intradonor reproducibility and changes in hemolytic variables during red blood cell storage: results of recall phase of the REDS-III RBC-Omics study.

Background: Genetic determinants may underlie the susceptibility of red blood cells (RBCs) to hemolyze in vivo and during routine storage. This study characterized the reproducibility and dynamics of in vitro hemolysis variables from a subset of the 13,403 blood donors enrolled in the RBC-Omics study.

Study Design And Methods: RBC-Omics donors with either low or high hemolysis results on 4°C-stored leukoreduced (LR)-RBC samples from enrollment donations stored for 39 to 42 days were recalled 2 to 12 months later to donate LR-RBCs.

Demographic and epidemiologic characterization of transfusion recipients from four US regions: evidence from the REDS-III recipient database.

Background: Blood transfusion is one of the most common medical procedures during hospitalization in the United States. To understand the benefits of transfusion while mitigating potential risks, a multicenter database containing detailed information on transfusion incidence and recipient outcomes would facilitate research.

Study Design And Methods: The Recipient Epidemiology and Donor Evaluation Study-III (REDS-III) program has developed a comprehensive transfusion recipient database utilizing data from hospital electronic health records at 12 participating hospitals in four geographic regions.

The operational implications of donor behaviors following enrollment in STRIDE (Strategies to Reduce Iron Deficiency in blood donors).

Background: Donor behaviors in STRIDE (Strategies to Reduce Iron Deficiency), a trial to reduce iron deficiency, were examined.

Study Design And Methods: Six hundred ninety-two frequent donors were randomized to receive either 19 or 38 mg iron for 60 days or an educational letter based on their predonation ferritin. Compliance with assigned pills, response to written recommendations, change in donation frequency, and future willingness to take iron supplements were examined.

Estimates of total body iron indicate 19 mg and 38 mg oral iron are equivalent for the mitigation of iron deficiency in individuals experiencing repeated phlebotomy.

Iron deficiency anemia is a common clinical condition often treated with tablets containing 65 mg of elemental iron. Such doses can elicit gastrointestinal side effects lowering patient compliance. Oral iron supplements also increase hepcidin production causing decreased fractional absorption of subsequent doses.

Qualitative assessment of pica experienced by frequent blood donors.

Background: Pica, the compulsive consumption of ice or other nonnutritious substances, is associated with iron deficiency, a common negative consequence of frequent blood donation. Because of this, blood donors, such as those participating in the Strategies to Reduce Iron Deficiency (STRIDE) study, are an ideal population to explore pica and iron deficiency.

Study Design And Methods: STRIDE was a 2-year intervention trial to assess the effectiveness of iron supplementation for mitigating iron deficiency in frequent blood donors.

No association between frequent apheresis donation and risk of fractures: a retrospective cohort analysis from Sweden.

Background: Citrate anticoagulation during apheresis induces transient alterations in calcium homeostasis. It is unknown whether the repeated, transient alterations in calcium homeostasis experienced by repeated apheresis donors affects bone turnover to increase fracture risk. Our aim was to investigate the risk of osteoporotic and nonosteoporotic fracture among voluntary, frequent apheresis donors.

A randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trial of education and iron supplementation for mitigation of iron deficiency in regular blood donors.

Background: The historical approach of offering dietary advice to donors with low hemoglobin (Hb) is ineffective for preventing iron deficiency in frequent donors. Alternative approaches to maintaining donor iron status were explored.

Study Design And Methods: Frequent blood donors were randomly assigned into five arms for 2 years of follow-up.

Citrate anticoagulation: Are blood donors donating bone?

An estimated 2.4 million volunteer apheresis blood donation procedures were performed in the United States in 2010, and increases in the proportion of transfused blood products derived from apheresis blood collections have been consistently reported. Anticoagulation is required during apheresis and is achieved with citrate.

Trauma in the neighborhood: a geospatial analysis and assessment of social determinants of major injury in North America.

Objectives: We sought to identify and characterize areas with high rates of major trauma events in 9 diverse cities and counties in the United States and Canada.

Methods: We analyzed a prospective, population-based cohort of injured individuals evaluated by 163 emergency medical service agencies transporting patients to 177 hospitals across the study sites between December 2005 and April 2007. Locations of injuries were geocoded, aggregated by census tract, assessed for geospatial clustering, and matched to sociodemographic measures.

Toxicity of soybean rust fungicides to freshwater algae and Daphnia magna.

Soybeans are intensively grown over large swaths of land in the Midwestern US. Introduction of the pathogenic fungus responsible for Soybean Rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi) will likely result in a significant increase in the environmental load of strobilurin and conazole fungicides. We determined the toxicity of six such fungicides to the unicellular algae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and the aquatic invertebrate, Daphnia magna.