Adverse reactions in blood and apheresis donors: experience from two Italian transfusion centres.
BACKGROUND
Blood and apheresis donations are widely considered to be safe with a low incidence of adverse reactions and injuries; however, data reported in the medical literature on the prevalence of adverse events in donors and studies on the predictive risk factors for donor reactions are limited and contradictory.


METHODS
From January 2002 to December 2006 we recorded every adverse reaction verified during 240,596 consecutive blood and apheresis donations (183,855 homologous whole blood donations, 6,669 autologous whole blood donations, 38,647 plasmapheresis, 2,641 plateletpheresis and 8,784 multicomponent donations) at the Italian Transfusion Centres of Verona and Ragusa,.


RESULTS
Using a special, pre-arranged form within the quality system, a total of 686 adverse reactions (related to 0.28% of all donations) were recorded. Vasovagal reactions, mostly of mild intensity, were the most commonly observed adverse reactions, with a frequency of 0.20% (487/ 240,596). The frequency of the vasovagal reactions varied according to the different types of donation, being 0.19% (346/183,855) for homologous whole blood donations, 0.24% (16/6,669) for autologous whole blood donations, 0.16% (63/38,647) for plasmapheresis, 0.68% (18/2,641) for plateletpheresis and 0.49 (43/8,784) for multicomponent donations. Citrate toxicity was reported in 0.38% (189/50,072) of apheresis donations. Severe adverse reactions were very rare, as they occurred in 0.004% of the donations (10/240,596).


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, the results of our 5-year survey document that apheresis and blood donation are safe procedures for the donor with a low incidence of adverse reactions; the adverse reactions that did occur were mostly mild and resolved rapidly.
Crocco
Isabella
I
Servizio di Immunoematologia e Trasfusione, Azienda Ospedaliera di Verona, Verona, Italy. isabella.crocco@azosp.vr.it
Franchini
Massimo
M
Garozzo
Giovanni
G
Gandini
Anna Rosa
AR
Gandini
Giorgio
G
Bonomo
Pietro
P
Aprili
Giuseppe
G
D001781:Blood Component Removal / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019343:Citric Acid / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D019462:Syncope, Vasovagal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology
D019343:Citric Acid