Whole blood donors' post‐donation symptoms diminish quickly but are discouraging: Results from 6‐day symptom diaries

Sweegers, Maike G.; Twisk, Jos W.R.; Quee, Franke A.; Ferguson, Eamonn; van den Hurk, Katja

Abstract

Background: Whole blood donors may experience post-donation symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness or headache after blood donation, which could influence donor retention. We aimed to examine post-donation symptoms during one week after whole blood donation, investigate donor characteristics associated with symptoms and evaluate associations between symptoms and donor return.

Methods: During one week, whole blood donors who donated successfully at one of the collection centres in the Netherlands were invited to participate. 3076 Donors filled in a diary, assessing post-donation symptoms during day 1 to 6 after donation. We used linear mixed models analyses to determine the change in post-donation symptoms after donation for male and female donors separately. Furthermore, we investigated associations between post-donation symptoms and donors’ physical characteristics using multivariable regression and determined associations between symptoms and donor return.

Results: Donors reported fatigue as the most common symptom, with approximately 3% of donors experiencing severe problems at the first day after donation. Multiple symptoms improved significantly up to day 3 after whole blood donation. Age, BMI, blood pressure (male donors) and blood volume (female donors) were significantly associated with post-donation symptoms. Donors with less fatigue after whole blood donation were more likely to return for their next donation within 31 days after receiving an invitation.

Conclusion: Post-symptoms improve up to three days after whole blood donation. Our results may help blood collection centres to identify donors more prone to post-donation symptoms and provide personalized information about the presence and course of post-donation symptoms, possibly increasing donor return rates.

Citation

Sweegers, M. G., Twisk, J. W., Quee, F. A., Ferguson, E., & van den Hurk, K. (2021). Whole blood donors' post‐donation symptoms diminish quickly but are discouraging: Results from 6‐day symptom diaries. Transfusion, 61(3), 811-821. https://doi.org/10.1111/trf.16220

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 26, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Jan 23, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021-03
• Deposit Date: Oct 27, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 24, 2022
• Journal: Transfusion
• Print ISSN: 0041-1132
• Electronic ISSN: 1537-2995
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 61
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 811-821
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/trf.16220
• Keywords: Immunology; Immunology and Allergy; Hematology
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4993864
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/trf.16220
• Additional Information: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Sweegers, M. G., Twisk, J. W. R., Quee, F. A., Ferguson, E., & van den Hurk, K. (2021). Whole blood donors’ post‐donation symptoms diminish quickly but are discouraging: Results from 6‐day symptom diaries. Transfusion, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/trf.16220. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.