Second fingerstick: a simple method to increase the blood supply

Area of Science:

• Transfusion Medicine
• Hematology
• Blood Donation Screening

Background:

• Blood donors failing the initial copper sulfate hemoglobin test are typically retested using microhematocrit.
• Current practice often uses a second sample from the same finger puncture for microhematocrit, potentially affecting accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if using a second, fresh finger puncture for microhematocrit testing reduces donor deferrals.
• To assess the iron status of donors accepted through the revised microhematocrit procedure.

Main Methods:

• Studied 201 volunteer blood donors who initially failed the copper sulfate test.
• Compared microhematocrit results from the original fingerstick versus a second, fresh finger puncture.
• Analyzed complete blood count and iron status markers from venous blood samples.

Main Results:

• Utilizing a fresh finger puncture for microhematocrit testing reduced the deferral rate by 46%.
• The iron status of donors accepted based on the second puncture was comparable to those accepted initially.
• No significant difference in iron status was observed between donors accepted by the original versus the second puncture method.

Conclusions:

• A second fresh finger puncture for microhematocrit determination effectively decreases hematocrit-related deferrals.
• This revised procedure increases donor acceptance without negatively impacting the iron status of newly accepted donors.
• Implementing a second fingerstick offers a practical improvement for blood donor screening protocols.