Donor tolerability of convalescent plasma donation

Area of Science:

• Transfusion Medicine
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Convalescent plasma (CP) has been a key treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) since early 2020.
• Limited data exists on the tolerability of CP donation for donors.
• This study assesses short-term donor tolerability of CP donation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and tolerability of convalescent plasma donation in a real-world setting.
• To identify potential risk factors associated with adverse events during CP donation.

Main Methods:

• A prospective study of 309 CP donations was conducted.
• Adverse events were recorded during donation.
• Donors underwent up to 28-day post-donation follow-up.

Main Results:

• A low incidence of adverse events (5.2%) was reported, all mild and vasovagal without loss of consciousness.
• Higher adverse reaction rates were observed in donors with larger donation volumes (>8 mL/kg or ≥600 mL), lower pre-donation systolic blood pressure (<100 mm Hg), or within 28 days of symptom onset.
• No correlation was found with donation history, weight, sex, blood type, diastolic blood pressure, pulse, or hemoglobin.

Conclusions:

• Convalescent plasma donation is generally safe for donors.
• Mitigating identified risk factors can enhance donor safety and tolerability for CP donation.