Blood donation, a risk for epileptic patients?
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Epilepsy patients can donate blood. A survey found some donors with epilepsy, and experts differed on acceptance. Researchers suggest seizures during donation are syncope, advocating for acceptance of seizure-free epilepsy patients.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Hematology
- Public Health
Background:
- Blood banks generally defer individuals with epilepsy from donating blood.
- Epilepsy donation policies vary significantly among institutions and internationally.
- The cause of rare convulsive events during blood donation is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate current practices regarding epilepsy patients as blood donors.
- To explore the nature of convulsive events occurring during blood donation.
- To advocate for revised blood donation policies for epilepsy patients.
Main Methods:
- Survey of Dutch blood banks regarding epilepsy donor acceptance.
- Inquiry to International League against Epilepsy chapters on national/international policies.
- Clinical assessment of convulsive events during blood donation.
Main Results:
- A small number of epilepsy patients (13) were identified as donors in two Dutch blood banks.
- Significant discrepancies were found in national and international responses regarding epilepsy donor acceptance.
- Convulsive events during blood donation are hypothesized to be emotive syncope, not epileptic seizures.
Conclusions:
- Current blood donation policies excluding epilepsy patients may be overly restrictive.
- Emotive syncope is a more likely explanation for observed convulsive events than epileptic seizures.
- Patients with epilepsy, seizure-free for two years, should be considered eligible blood donors, regardless of medication.
Abstract:
Generally patients with epilepsy will not be accepted as blood donors by blood banks. A survey in the Dutch blood banks revealed two blood banks with a total of 13 donors suffering from epilepsy. We also questioned the Chapters of the International League against Epilepsy. The answers on a national and international level differed widely. We believe that the rare convulsion during blood donation is not an epileptic seizure, but in fact an emotive syncope. We advocate the acceptance of patients with epilepsy, free of seizures for 2 years irrespective of their medication, as blood donors.