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Influence of blood-taking procedure on the heart function of blood donors
Insights
Blood donation does not significantly alter heart function. However, a faster donation rate, relative to body weight, correlates with changes in left ventricular function, suggesting longer donation times are advisable.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Physiology
Background:
- Blood donation is a common procedure.
- Assessing the impact of blood withdrawal on cardiac function is important for donor safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of blood donation on systolic time intervals and heart rate.
- To identify factors influencing cardiac response to blood withdrawal.
Main Methods:
- Non-invasive monitoring of systolic time intervals and heart rate in 11 blood donors.
- Measurements taken before and after a standard 450 ml blood donation.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant changes in systolic time intervals or heart rate were observed post-donation.
- A significant correlation was found between the pre-ejection period/left ventricular ejection time (PEP/LVET) ratio changes and the product of withdrawn blood volume, donation time, and body weight.
- No correlation was found with other combinations of withdrawal volume, time, and percentage of circulatory volume removed.
Conclusions:
- The rate of blood withdrawal, particularly in relation to body weight, may influence left ventricular function.
- Donation time should be optimized (ml donation * body weight (kg)) to avoid potential negative impacts on cardiac function.
Abstract:
The systolic time intervals and heart rate were studied in 11 blood-donors aged between 20 and 48 years by a non-invasive technique before and after the usual blood-taking procedure. No statistically significant difference was found between values determined before and after the procedure. A significant correlation (r = 0.76) was demonstrated between percent changes of pre-ejection period/left ventricular ejection time (PEP/LVET)-ratio and withdrawn volume of blood (450 ml) X time (min)-1 X bodyweight (kg)-1. No correlation was found between percent changes of PEP/LVET-ratio and withdrawn volume of blood X time-1, nor between percent changes of PEP/LVET-ratio and withdrawn volume of blood X percentage of circulatory volume removed-1. It is suggested that the blood-taking time (in minutes) should not be shorter than the quotient: donated volume of blood (ml) X bodyweight (kg)-1 if a negative influence of withdrawal procedure on left ventricular function is to be avoided. Mechanisms contributing to circulatory stability during reduction of blood volume are briefly discussed.