Adverse Reactions and Complication in Voluntary Blood Donors

Blood transfusion is a process by which blood replacement is performed in the treatment of various diseases with disorders of the number or function of blood cells or after bleeding. Blood helps save human lives and treat various diseases. Blood and blood products for the treatment of patients are prepared from the blood of voluntary donors.

The aim of this sudy was to examine the frequency of adverse reactions in voluntary blood donors at the Polyclinic for Transfusion at the University Clinical Center Tuzla in the period 01.01.-31.12.2021. and, also, to determining the frequency, is to determine the severity of adverse reactions and the causes that led to them (gender, age, place of donation, whether they are more common during the first or repeated blood donation) as well as the consequences they leave behind.

Our research includes voluntary blood donors who, in the period from 01.01.2021 until 31.12.2021., donated blood at the Polyclinic for Transfusion at the University Clinical Center Tuzla (UCC Tuzla). All donors have been selected according to earlier set criteria, according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the Council of Europe (12,13), involving age (≥18 years), weight (≥55kg), hemoglobin level (≥125g/dl for women, ≥135g/dl for men), hematocrit level (≥38% for women, ≥41g/dl for men), pulse (50-100 /min) and blood pressure (120/80-160/100mmHg). Each donor voluntarily filled out a uniformed questionary that involved data about personal and family history, as well as prior blood donations.

In the Polyclinic for Transfusion UCC Tuzla, a study was conducted about adverse reactions among voluntary blood donors. During 2021 there were 14191 blood donors. From that number of donors, there were 75,4% (107000) fitting donors, while those who have been returned because they haven't satisfied donating criteria were 24,6% (3487). From the number of those who have donated blood (10700), negative reactions appeared in 1,8% (195) blood donors. Figure 1 shows adverse reactions in relation to the number of blood donations and gender. When it comes to gender, adverse reactions were recorded in 75,9% (148) male donors and 24,1% (47) female donors concering the total number of donors with adverse reactions. Our research showed that the prevalence of adverse reactions in voluntary blood donors is relatively low (1.8%). The adverse reactions are the result of vasovagal reactions, and most often occur in younger people (18 to 30 years old) in 55.9% of donors.

Considering the low percentage of adverse reactions in relation to the total number of blood donors, and that they are mostly mild in intensity, it can be concluded that donating blood is safe process, and doesn't leave lasting consequences for the blood donor's health, and every donor returns to daily activities very quickly.