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BACKGROUND: The high incidence of donor reactions in first-time, 17-year-old Caucasian whole-blood donors makes this group ideal for the study of donor reactions. STUDY DESIGN and METHODS: Donor reaction rates were retrospectively evaluated in 7274 first-time, 17-year-old Caucasian whole-blood donors based on observa-tions recorded at the collection sites. The effect of sex and weight on donor reactions was determined. In addition, a model was developed to estimate how different blood collection volumes would affect donor reaction rates. RESULTS: The donor reaction rate was 12.0 percent (870/7274). Female donors overall had a higher donor reaction rate than male donors (16.7% vs. 7.3%) and also had a higher donor reaction rate than male donors at each 20-lb weight interval in the range from 110 to 189 lb. A model suggested that a change in the blood-unit volume from 450 to 500 mL would increase donor reaction rates by 18 percent in either female or male donors, whereas a reduction in the blood-unit volume from 500 to 400 mL would decrease donor reaction rates by 29 and 27 percent in female and male donors, respectively. CONCLUSION: First-time, 17-year-old Caucasian female donors had a higher donor reaction rate than male donors overall and at equivalent donor weights. In the range of present US blood-unit volumes, a change in collection of as little as 50 mL could have a significant impact on blood donor reaction rates in high-school students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Whole-blood donation times in a donor population when there are no impediments to blood donation at any point can be used to determine the shortest median whole-blood donation time. This statistic is relevant to blood donors and collection staff. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Small, overstaffed blood drives in August 2004 were evaluated via operation records and supervisor interviews to determine if there were any impediments to whole-blood donation at any point in the process. Four-hundred ninety-two whole-blood donations from 33 blood drives were not impeded and were evaluated for whole-blood donation times. Registration records (entry time) and blood donor records (phlebotomy start and end time) provided three objective time points for the process, the median postphlebotomy interval at the phlebotomy station was estimated, and 10 minutes was assigned for the refreshment period. RESULTS: The median donation time for the whole-blood donation process was 50 minutes. The 25 to 75 percent range was 46 to 56 minutes, and the 10 to 90 percent range was 42 to 64 minutes. First-time blood donors had blood donation times that were 5 to 6 minutes longer than in repeat blood donors (55.5 min vs. 50 min), and women had slightly longer donation times than men (51 min vs. 49 min). Five percent of the donors had donation times that exceeded 69 minutes. CONCLUSION: The median whole-blood donation time and range under the best circumstances was defined based on the process in place in our blood center in August 2004. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Estimating the probability that a donor will have or not have an adverse event is useful for staff knowledge to give blood donors reassurance upon request. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: One-thousand donors from the general donor pool were interviewed for seven potential adverse events 3 weeks after a 525-mL whole-blood phlebotomy. The four most common adverse events were bruise (22.7%), sore arm (10.0%), fatigue (7.8%), and donor reaction (7.0%). A stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed based on five donor characteristics that were studied: age, weight, sex, race, and first-time donor status. The contribution of each significant or marginally significant factor to each adverse event was quantified. RESULTS: For donor reaction, weight (p < 0.0001) and age (p = 0.015) were significant contributors, and first-time donor status (p = 0.054) was a marginally significant contributor. An equation was derived, and the donor reaction rate can be estimated for a group based on the donor's weight, age, and first-time donor status. Similar analyses were performed for fatigue, sore arm, and bruise. CONCLUSION: Based on the derived formulas and with the use of a spreadsheet, data can be entered and the probability that a donor will have (or not have) a donor reaction, fatigue, sore arm, or bruise can be estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A prospective blood donor's oral temperature is affected by external stimuli such as drinking a hot or cold beverage or chewing gum. These stimuli can cause a deferral or an inappropriate acceptance for a certain unknown time.Study Design and Methods: Ten volunteer subjects were exposed to each of the three stimuli in separate studies. Oral and tympanic membrane temperatures were taken before exposure, immediately after exposure, and at various times until the subject's temperature returned to baseline.Results: The drinking of a hot beverage caused an immediate mean temperature elevation of 2.6 degrees F which would lead to deferral for 7 of 10 subjects. All subjects were acceptable for blood donation (temperature <99.6 degrees F) by 5 minutes. A cold beverage lowered the temperature; the temperature in 6 subjects returned to baseline by 10 minutes and that in 4 did so by 30 minutes. Gum chewing caused minimal temperature elevations; only 1 donor's temperature reached 99.6 degrees F, and it was at acceptable levels for blood donation by 5 minutes.Conclusion: Drinking a hot beverage and, to a much lesser degree, gum chewing can lead to a deferral for elevated temperature, but subjects were acceptable by 5 minutes. Cold beverages are of more concern, because they suppress the temperature for a short time and could theoretically lead to acceptance of a febrile, possibly infectious donor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]