Donor and Blood Collection - key points

Question 1

When did the Blood Transfusion Service Board come into existence

Answer 1

1965

But name was changed in 2000 to IBTS

Question 2

How many donations are required per year

Answer 2

150,000

Question 3

What is the frequency of blood in Ireland

Answer 3

O+ 47
A+ 26
B+ 9
O- 8%
A- 5%
B- 2%
AB+ 2%
AB- 1%

Question 4

How many donations needed every week?

Answer 4

3,000

Question 5

How many people need transfusions a week in Ireland

Answer 5

1,000

Question 6

What % of irish people are donors?

Answer 6

1.5%

Question 7

What are the 6 main donor categories?

Answer 7

Homologous volunteer
Paid
Autologous
Directed
Replacement donor
Aphereis -> 50%

Question 8

Reasons for donation

Answer 8

Altruism
Peer pressure
Enlightened self interest - possible future need
Family tradition
Personal or professional experience of tranfusion
Rare blood group or neonatal use
Therapeutic hereditary haemochromatosis
Patriotism
Replacement for family
Non-monetary gifts e.g. credits
Opportunity for medical testing

Question 9

Donor recruitment strategies

Answer 9

Increased public awareness through TV/Radio, posters, leaflets etc

Direct markerting -> targeting pre-selected potential donors

School curricula - instil awareness in children

Establish a readily identified national identity through logos, emblems etc

Local community volunteers -> organise clinics and advertise etc

Question 10

List some campaigns

Answer 10

Flesh and Blood Initiative - priests encourage donation in congregations at easter

“Roll up your sleeves” - for men

Blood 4 life week - co-incides with world blood donor day on june 14th

Schools programme - educational pack including videos and discussion packs etc

Blood Buddy campaign - same blood types etc

The missing type campaign - removed ABO letters from known brand names eg Dairy Milk

Everyone counts - small communities donate together etc

Question 11

What is the rate of lapse in donors, why

Answer 11

15% lapse in UK
Health, re-location, inconvenience

1/150,000 require hospitilisation

Many have bruising

Bad experience: 1 in 6300 have neurological needle injury-numbness

Question 12

How to retain donors

Answer 12

No unnecessary deferrals and a welcome back for temporary deferrals

Improved administrative factors e.g. clinic times, convenient premises, que management, pleasent premises etc

Well trained, caring staff

Appropriate post donation care

Planned floow up encouraging further donations

Thank you after donation

Texts when blood is transfused

Question 13

Haemoglobin levels for men and women

Answer 13

12.5g/dL for women
13.5g/dl for men

Question 14

Why do women have lower Hb

Answer 14

Not due to menstruation
Due to higher estrogen
Causes smaller capillaries which are more open thus less haemoglobin is needed in females

Question 15

How frequently can you donate?

Answer 15

4 times a year

Question 16

How much blood is donated

Answer 16

450mls blood into 63 mls CPDA

Question 17

Mimimum weight for donation

Answer 17

50kg

Question 18

Blood pressure for donation

Answer 18

180 over 100

Question 19

Some examples of permanent exclusion

Answer 19

High risk behaviours either sexual practice or drug abuse

Chronic infections such as HIV, HBV, Brucellosis or Chagas disease

Risk of CJD - dura mater grafts of human pituitary hormones

Diseases of unkown or viral aetiology e.g. jaundice/hepatitis >13 years old

Question 20

Temporary exclusions

Answer 20

Sexual contacts of high risk partners
Ear or body piercing
Tattoo, accupuncture
Blood transfusion
Vaccinations
Foreign travel to malaria endemic areas
Pregnancy
Surgery
SARS/Covid - travel contact
Been in prison
Cold or flu
Visit to USA, Canada, Cuba or Israel in last 2 months
West nile virus

Question 21

Give an example of a medication which permanently excludes you from blood donation

Answer 21

Accutane
Known to cause genetic mutations

Or growth hormone

Question 22

What is confidential unit exclusion

Answer 22

Donors attending due to peer pressure and still want to donate but know they shouldnt

Unit will be discarded

Isnt done anymore

Question 23

List the laboratory testing done on a unit

Answer 23

ABO and RhD groups as well as K

Group O high titre

Test for unexpected blood group Abs

Hep B -> HBsAg -> anti- hep B core Ab test -> NAT

HIV 1 and 2 NAT

HTLV 1 and 2 antibodies

Hep C NAT

Hep E NAT since 2019

Syphilisis antibody

Question 24

List some optional further testing on units

Answer 24

Malaria antibody test

WNV -> seasonally tested

CMV -> antibody

HTLV 1 and 2 -> only on first time donors

Question 25

Why do we only test first time donors for HTLV

Answer 25

since 2000 we havent found a single positive -> hence why we only ever do it on first time donors ont he basis of @if they dont have it theyre probalby not going to get it’ as prevalence is so low

Question 26

What virology do we carry out

Answer 26

HIV 1 and 2
anti HCV Ab
anti HTLV1 and 2 Ab
Anti HB core antibody
Anti hep B surface antigen
Anti Syphilis antibody

Question 27

What NAT do we carry out

Answer 27

HIV 1 and 2
HCV
HBV
HEV