Study of blood donor complications after whole blood donation in our center

Background: Despite the advent of many synthetic and semi-synthetic products, the importance of biological blood products cannot be undermined in the current era. The blood donors are the backbone of any health care delivery system that has a well-organized blood transfusion service.Methods: A prospective study conducted for the period of 16 months aimed to find out various complications and their frequencies before, during or after the blood donations. The donors who developed any complications were followed up for at least three weeks to assess the late reactions if any. Blood donation was carried out with proper precautions and asepsis by experienced phlebotomists.Results: Out of 10346 blood donations, 9887 were from replacement donors, while 459 were from voluntary donors. Total donation associated complications were 113, out of which the majority were VVRs (n=74), followed by venous hematomas (n=34) and arterial punctures (n=5). Of the 74 donors who had a VVR after blood donation, the incidence was higher in females (1.64% versus 0.69%). A higher incidence of VVRs was seen among the donors who had a history of previous blood donation.Conclusions: This study strengthened the fact that though blood donation is relatively safe, it still has a complication rate of nearly 1%. To encourage for blood donation at a regular interval, all the possible steps should be taken to minimize the rate of complications. More medical attention should be given to the “at-risk” donors