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Updated: Sep 20, 2026
Continuous Manual Exchange Transfusion for Patients with Sickle Cell Disease: An Efficient Method to Avoid Iron Overload
Published on: March 14, 2017
Restoration of red blood cell volume following 2-unit red blood cell apheresis
1Naval Blood Research Laboratory, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA. navblood@bu.edu
Background And Objectives:
Blood donors who weigh at least 130 lbs (59 kg) and have a haematocrit of at least 40 V per cent can donate 2 units of blood, from which a 360-ml volume of red blood cells (RBC) can be isolated. This study was carried out in seven healthy male blood donors to assess the restoration of the RBC volume 1 month following a 2-unit RBC apheresis procedure.
Materials And Methods:
RBC volumes were measured prior to donation and 4 weeks after the 2-unit RBC apheresis procedure without oral iron supplementation.
Results:
Four weeks after the removal of 2 units of RBC from the male donors not supplemented with oral iron, the RBC volume was restored to 92% of the precollection value. The 360-ml volume of RBC collected represented 12-19% of the donor's original RBC volume.
Conclusions:
Male donors can safely donate 2 units of RBC and will restore a mean of 92% of their RBC volume within 1 month without iron supplementation.
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