Delayed adverse reactions to blood donation

Area of Science:

• Transfusion Medicine
• Donor Safety
• Adverse Event Analysis

Background:

• Blood donation is generally safe, but some donors experience delayed or off-site reactions.
• These reactions can potentially lead to significant donor injury.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify risk factors associated with delayed reactions (DRs) in blood donors.
• To analyze the clinical consequences of off-site and on-site reactions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 793,293 allogeneic whole blood and apheresis donations from 2007.
• Vasovagal reactions were assessed, excluding needle insertion incidents and mild reactions.
• Reactions were classified as delayed (>15 min) or immediate (<=15 min) and analyzed using multivariable logistic regression.

Main Results:

• Moderate or severe reactions occurred in 41 per 10,000 donations; 24% were delayed and 12% off-site.
• Delayed reactions were significantly associated with female sex (OR 2.96) and low estimated blood volume (EBV) (OR 3.91).
• Off-site reactions, especially in women, increased the risk of falls, head trauma, other injuries, and need for medical care.

Conclusions:

• Low EBV, younger age, and first-time donor status are key risk factors for immediate and delayed reactions.
• Women are more prone to reporting delayed reactions compared to men.
• Delayed and off-site reactions cause preventable harm, necessitating research into interventions for improved donor safety.