Hyperbilirubinemia in normal healthy donors.

Area of Science:

• Transfusion Medicine
• Hepatology
• Clinical Pathology

Background:

• Blood banks routinely screen donors for infectious diseases.
• Plasma abnormalities, like icterus, may indicate underlying health issues in donors.
• The safety of transfusing blood products with abnormal plasma characteristics is not well-documented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalence and causes of icteric plasma in apparently healthy blood donors.
• To evaluate the liver function of donors with icteric plasma.
• To address the dilemma regarding the transfusion of blood units with icteric plasma.

Main Methods:

• Screening of 2734 blood donors over five years.
• Testing for HIV, HBsAg, HCV, and VDRL.
• Visual inspection of plasma color for icterus.
• Performing liver function tests (including SGPT) on donors with icteric plasma.

Main Results:

• 27 donors (0.91%) presented with icteric plasma.
• Two donors had elevated SGPT levels and were excluded.
• Most icteric plasma cases were likely due to Gilbert's disease.
• No significant increases in other liver enzymes were observed in the remaining donors.

Conclusions:

• Gilbert's disease is a probable cause of icteric plasma in healthy donors.
• Current policies do not address the transfusion of blood with icteric plasma.
• Reassessment of existing blood transfusion policies and regulations is necessary.