Health risks to cytapheresis donors

Platelets and granulocytes collected by cytapheresis techniques are recognized as drugs by the US Food and Drug Administration. Though potentially life-saving, like all drugs or therapeutic modalities they have many side-effects, and untoward reactions occur in recipients. However, unlike any other class of drug, cytapheresis products cause untoward and occasionally serious reactions in humans during their preparation. Since the only source for these medications is healthy, human blood donors we should be doubly certain that we use them with care and for very specific indications. Primum non nocere--first, do no harm--is an old and valuable medical axiom , and it applies to our blood donors as well as to our patients. Careful review of our use of these products and intelligent monitoring of appropriate medical and laboratory data in our donors are absolute necessities that we owe to our patients and our various publics . To do less reduces medical practice to mere technology, a state of affairs already too commonplace.