Date of Publication

2-24-2010

Abstract

Introduction: The process of double RBC donation by apheresis (DRBC), which facilitates the donation of two units of red blood cells (RBC) in a single donation session, was estimated to account for approximately 4% of blood donations in 2005, and is believed to be growing at a rate of 40% per year. Blood shortages in this country could be corrected by converting as few as 10% of current single unit whole blood donors to DRBC donors. Advantages of DRBC donation may include reduction in donor-related exposures in recipients, improved cost-effectiveness of the donation process, and improved convenience for donors. The safety profile of DRBC has been found to be equal to, and in some cases better than that of single unit whole blood donation, especially in young donors (/o). DRBC donors have been shown to restore 92% of RBC volume in 4 weeks without iron supplementation, and to have no significant differences in hemoglobin, serum iron, or ferritin when compared with single unit whole blood donors six months after donation. Our study seeks to quantify the number of current single unit whole blood donors who are both eligible for and interested in DRBC donation.

Advisor(s)

Christian Frenette, MA, American Red Cross - Northern New England Region

Mark Fung, MD, PhD, University of Vermont College of Medicine

Carol Dembeck, American Red Cross - Northern New England Region

Jan Carney, MD, MPH, University of Vermont College of Medicine

Agency

American Red Cross - Northern New England Region

Subjects

Educational and Community-Based Programs, Health Communication and Health Information Technology, Public Health Infrastructure

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License

Double Red Blood Cell Donation Eligibility and Interest
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