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Donor reactions in high-school donors: the effects of sex, weight, and collection volume.

Newman BH, Satz SL, Janowicz NM, Siegfried BA

American Red Cross Blood Services, Southeastern Michigan Region, Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA. newmanb@usa.redcross.org

BACKGROUND: The high incidence of donor reactions in first-time, 17-year-old Caucasian whole-blood donors makes this group ideal for the study of donor reactions. STUDY DESIGN and METHODS: Donor reaction rates were retrospectively evaluated in 7274 first-time, 17-year-old Caucasian whole-blood donors based on observations recorded at the collection sites. The effect of sex and weight on donor reactions was determined. In addition, a model was developed to estimate how different blood collection volumes would affect donor reaction rates. RESULTS: The donor reaction rate was 12.0 percent (870/7274). Female donors overall had a higher donor reaction rate than male donors (16.7% vs. 7.3%) and also had a higher donor reaction rate than male donors at each 20-lb weight interval in the range from 110 to 189 lb. A model suggested that a change in the blood-unit volume from 450 to 500 mL would increase donor reaction rates by 18 percent in either female or male donors, whereas a reduction in the blood-unit volume from 500 to 400 mL would decrease donor reaction rates by 29 and 27 percent in female and male donors, respectively. CONCLUSION: First-time, 17-year-old Caucasian female donors had a higher donor reaction rate than male donors overall and at equivalent donor weights. In the range of present US blood-unit volumes, a change in collection of as little as 50 mL could have a significant impact on blood donor reaction rates in high-school students.

Published 30 January 2006 in Transfusion, 46(2): 284-8.
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