Blood donation by healthy individuals with haemochromatosis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine how many individuals with haemochromatosis undergoing therapeutic venesections in our department might be eligible for blood donation.


METHODS
Patients with genetic haemochromatosis were assessed with respect to complications of their disorder, the presence of other medical conditions and their suitability to be blood donors.


RESULTS
Of 74 patients, 53 have been tested and shown to be homozygous for the Cys282Tyr mutation, and 30 of these (40%) fulfilled criteria for blood donation. This group is having 409 units of blood removed annually or 13-units per individual that is currently discarded. Of these 30 patients, all (100%) were keen to be blood donors.


CONCLUSIONS
It is timely to review the policy regarding use of this wasted blood for transfusion.
Blacklock
H A
HA
Department of Haematology, Middlemore Hospital, Auckland. Hblacklock@middlemore.co.nz
Dewse
M
M
Bollard
C
C
Hudson
P
P
Barnhill
D
D
Jackson
S
S
D001771:Blood Banks / Q000592:standards*; D001782:Blood Donors; D003257:Consumer Product Safety / Q000592:standards*; D006432:Hemochromatosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009520:New Zealand; D016134:Organizational Policy; D018962:Phlebotomy