Adverse effects in blood donors after whole blood donation

Background and ObjectivesMost of blood donations are uneventful. However, adverse effects occur in a limited number of donors and have a negative impact on blood donor return rate and donor recruitment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence rate of vasovagal reactions and arm injuries during and after blood donation at Yazd Blood Transfusion Centre.Materials and MethodsThis cross sectional study was performed on 1000 randomly selected blood donors from August 2005 to January 2006 at Yazd Blood Transfusion Centre. Blood donors were examined by physicians for vasovagal reactions during and one hour after blood donation. Donors with arm injuries were interviewed in person after 3 weeks. Data were analyzed statistically using Chi-square, ANOVA, Fischer exact test and T-test.ResultsThe rate of vasovagal reactions was 2%. There was no severe reaction such as convulsion. The most common arm findings were pain (8.2%), bruise (7%) and hematoma (1.4%). Sensory changes such as numbness and tingling (0.7 %) had the least frequency. All donors with arm injuries recovered fully within a week. Repeat and regular blood donors had fewer vasovagal reactions than first time donors (p <0.05). There was no significant correlation between arm injury and the frequency of blood donation. ConclusionsThe incidence of vasovagal reactions in our study was lower than others. It might pertain to correct selection of donors by physicians, the presence of trained, expert personnel for blood collection, and care for donors.