title: Risk factors for deferral due to low hematocrit and iron depletion among prospective blood donors in a Brazilian center.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Deferral of blood donors due to low hematocrit and iron depletion is commonly reported in blood banks worldwide. This study evaluated the risk factors for low hematocrit and iron depletion among prospective blood donors in a large Brazilian blood center.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study of 400 deferred donors due to low hematocrit and 456 eligible whole blood donors was conducted between 2009 and 2011. Participants were interviewed about selected risk factors for anemia, and additional laboratory tests, including serum ferritin, were performed. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the association between predictors and deferral due to low hematocrit in the studied population and iron depletion in women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Donors taking aspirins or iron supplementation, those who reported stomachache, black tarry stools or hematochezia, and women having more than one menstrual period/month were more likely to be deferred. Risk factors for iron depletion were repeat donation and being deferred at the hematocrit screening. Smoking and lack of menstruation were protective against iron depletion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found some unusual risk factors related to gastrointestinal losses that were associated with deferral of donors due to low hematocrit. Knowledge of the risk factors can help blood banks design algorithms to improve donor notification and referral.
authors.affiliation: Diagnósticos da América (DASA), São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Fundação Pró-Sangue Hemocentro de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eloísa Tedeschi
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Dauar
authors.affiliation: Fundação Pró-Sangue Hemocentro de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Giuseppina Maria
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Patavino
authors.affiliation: Fundação Pró-Sangue Hemocentro de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mendrone Júnior
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sandra Fátima Menosi
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Gualandro
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ester Cerdeira
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Sabino
authors.affiliation: Fundação Pró-Sangue Hemocentro de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: cesarnt@uol.com.br.
authors.forename: Cesar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Almeida-Neto
keywords: Anemia; Blood donors; Ferritin; Iron deficiency; Risk factors