Negative experiences and predonation blood pressure at the subsequent donation in blood donors.
BACKGROUND
Negative donation experiences, like being deferred or experiencing an adverse reaction, might upset blood donors, resulting in anticipatory stress responses such as elevated blood pressure at the subsequent visit. We therefore explored associations between blood donors' negative donation experiences and their blood pressure at the subsequent visit.


METHODS
Blood pressure of donors with no history of negative experiences in three consecutive donations was compared to the blood pressure of donors with a negative experience during the second of the three donations. Blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) measured prior to the third donation was compared between the two groups, using linear regression analyses. Two types of negative experiences (adverse reactions and deferral) were analysed, stratifying for donation type and sex, and adjusting for age and predonation blood pressure at baseline.


RESULTS
In total, 248 118 (50% female) donors were included in the analyses. Eleven per cent (26 380 donors, 61% female) had experienced a negative experience. Fainting and dizziness were associated with significant (P < 0·05) increases in systolic blood pressure: in men, 3·0 mmHg (fainting) and 2·0 mmHg (dizziness); in women, 2·0 mmHg (fainting) and 1·4 mmHg (dizziness). Deferral was associated with significant (P < 0·05) increases in both systolic (men: 0·7 mmHg, women: 0·3 mmHg) and diastolic (men: 0·2 mmHg, women: 0·3 mmHg) blood pressure.


CONCLUSIONS
Whole blood donations with negative experiences were associated with a statistically significant higher predonation blood pressure at the subsequent visit. This indicates that negative experiences might cause an anticipatory stress reaction in a subsequent donation.
Department of Donor Studies, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Coronel Institute of Occupational Health, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
M D
MD
Hoogerwerf
Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
I J T
IJ
Veldhuizen
Department of Donor Studies, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
K
K
van den Hurk
Department of Donor Studies, Sanquin Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Department of Social Medicine, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
W L A M
WL
de Kort
Coronel Institute of Occupational Health, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
J K
JK
Sluiter
Coronel Institute of Occupational Health, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
M H W
MH
Frings-Dresen
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000523:psychology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
adverse reactions; blood donation; blood donors; blood pressure; deferral