title: Switching iron-deficient whole blood donors to plateletpheresis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Iron deficiency is a frequent side effect of whole blood (WB) donation. In contrast, less red blood cell loss and therefore less iron loss results from plateletpheresis.
  
  
  METHODS
  WB donors presenting a decrease in either hemoglobin (Hb) or ferritin levels were offered to switch to plateletpheresis with or without iron supplementation. We analyzed the effect of this intervention on deferral rates for an insufficient Hb level in 168 donors. Further, we assessed how this intervention affected Hb and ferritin levels, anemia occurrence, and platelet (PLT) concentrate yields in the donors who presented at least four successive times for thrombapheresis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Switching WB donors to repetitive plateletpheresis procedures resulted in an increase of median Hb (+12 g/L, p < 0.001) and ferritin (+15.5 ng/mL, p = 0.002) values. Anemia and deferral rates were reduced by 23% (p = 0.004) and 13% (p < 0.001). Between high- and low-frequency apheresis donors, no significant differences in Hb and ferritin levels were found. Similarly, discrepancies in Hb and ferritin values between donors that adopted iron supplementation and those who did not were insignificant. The median PLT concentrate yield was 5.43 × 10(11) PLTs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Switching iron-deficient WB donors to plateletpheresis was an effective intervention that permitted us to correct low Hb and ferritin levels while retaining donors in our pool.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Alix
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Meara
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Infanti
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sigle
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D001782:Blood Donors; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005296:Ferrous Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018962:Phlebotomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D010976:Platelet Count; D010983:Plateletpheresis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D006454:Hemoglobins; C020748:ferrous sulfate; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron