Adverse reactions to the donation of platelet by apheresis and related factors in a tertiary level care blood center

Background and Objectives: Although blood donation by apheresis is very safe, it is essential to identify the adverse reactions that happen and address the factors related to it so as to improve the donation experience both to the donors and the center accepting donations. This study was designed to assess the frequency of adverse reaction in donors undergoing apheresis for platelet donation and delineate the factors associated with the occurrence of such adverse donor reactions, if any. Methodology: This was an analytical retrospective study on the available data of all the donors who donated single-donor apheretic platelets in our blood center from January 2014 to October 2018. Results: The overall donor reaction rate was 8.3%, with the majority (4.7%) being a local reaction in the form of a hematoma. The other 3.6% were systemic reactions, among which 2.1% were citrate reactions and 1.5% vasovagal reactions (VVRs). The variables associated with a VVR were body weight