A Gift of Blood: Opinions and Experience of Voluntary Blood Donors on Repeat Blood Donation

Donating blood is an essential practice that can help save lives. Effective strategies are necessary to attract and keep blood donors to meet the demand for safe blood. To evaluate the experience of voluntary blood donors in Zanzibar, a survey was conducted, and purposive sampling was used to select participants who had donated blood multiple times. The study involved interviewing 15 repeat blood donors, and the data collected was analyzed thematically. Two main themes emerged from the analysis: motivators and barriers. Despite a few negative effects, most participants had positive experiences with repeat blood donation, and only few experienced physical reactions during or after the process. The study concludesthat blood donors in Zanzibar generally have good experience towards repeat blood donation, although community participation, education, and sensitization are needed to recruit and maintain more donors.

Establishment and application of management information system for plasma collection stations in Zhejiang province / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To establish a management information system (referred to as the system) for plasma collection stations in Zhejiang province, so as to explore the current situation of plasma donors and implement effective supervision in Zhejiang. 【Methods】 The system was developed and connected to four plasma collection stations that were officially operating in Zhejiang in terms of plasma station setting and approval, as well as the publicity, recruitment and management of plasma donors, information management of the whole process of plasma collection, management of deferral plasma donors, plasma quality management and administrative supervision etc. Relevant plasma donor information was uploaded to the system by each plasma station, and information before (January 2016 to December 2020) and after (January 8, 2021 to June 2021) the system was collected. Information included the number of plasma donors/donations, demographic information of eligible plasma donors in the past 5 years, the type of plasma donors, and the deferral donors after the system was activated. The online approval of Plasma Donation Certificate and the intelligent supervision of key points of plasma apheresis stations in Zhejiang were also conducted. The frequency and composition ratio were described, and chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. 【Results】 The system (V1.0) was established and was officially launched on January 8, 2021, realizing the interconnection of blood donation and plasma donation information as well as the unified management of 24 quality indicators. Since the system was applied (January 8, 2021-June 2021), the proportion of donors both donated blood and plasma over the province was 3.56 (832/23 389), and 352 deferred donors were masked by the system. And 30.11% (106/352) , who intended to donate plasma, were deferred due to insufficient interval after blood donation; 11.65% (41/352) due to permanent masking in blood donations; 23.86% (23.86%) , who intended to donate blood, were deferred due to insufficient interval after plasma donation ( 84/352); 34.38% (121/352) due to permanent masking in plasma donations. The median approval rate of four plasma stations applying for Plasma Donation Certificate before the system (January 1, 2016 to January 7, 2021) and after the system (January 8 to June 2021) were 93.38% (10 609/11 361) vs 99.50% (2 602/2 615). Before the system was put into launch, the ratio of male to female donors and the proportion of regular donors showed an overall upward trend, while the age decreased slightly. The median proportion of women in the past 5 years was 61.52 %, significantly higher than that in last 6 months after the launch(58.86%). 【Conclusion】 The application of the system can realize information interconnection between blood centers and plasma collection stations in Zhejiang as well as the real-time supervision of plasma collection process, which is helpful to overcome the shortcomings in plasma donor management.

Study on thedistribution of high titer neutralizing antibody against human cytomegalovirus in plasma donors / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To investigate the distribution of plasma donors with high titer neutralizing antibodies against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in the general plasma donor population. 【Methods】 920 plasma samples of Taibang were tested in April 2014 to investigate the distribution of anti-HCMV neutralizing antibodies. After further testing of mixed plasma, the threshold for screening plasma was determined. From October 2019 to May 2020, neutralizing anti-HCMV in 40 078 plasma samples from 11 plasma stations in Shandong province were screened by the microcytopathic method (modified high-flux neutralization test method). The proportion of neutralizing anti-HCMV enriched in high titer and the distribution in the donor population were analyzed by SPSS 26 and Minitab19 analysis software. 【Results】 Among 920 samples, 73.26%, 0.43%, and 8.69% of them had neutralization titer<1∶15, ≥1∶60 and ≥1∶30, respectively. The neutralization titer of mixed plasma was detected, and 1∶30 was determined as the high titer. The yielding rate of high titer neutralizing anti-HCMV in Shandong was 9.06% (3 633/40 078). The proportion of plasma donors with high-titer neutralizing anti-HCMV in the donation population from plasma stations was 4.95%~13.03% (9.06±2.07) %. The proportion of plasma donors with high-titer neutralizing anti-HCMV by gender was 15.67% (2 185/13 951) in women and 5.54% (1 448/26 127) in men(P<0.05). 【Conclusion】 There was a certain proportion of plasma donors wiht high titer neutralizing anti-HCMV in the population of plasma donors in Shandong, and they can constantly serve neutralizing anti-HCMV to ensure the production of anti-HCMV immunoglobulin preparations.

ASCVD indexes in Bama and Shimen area plasma donors, China / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To investigate the level of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) related indexes in plasma donors from longevity area, and explore its influencing factors. 【Methods】 1 027 plasma donors from longevity hotspot (Bama, Guangxi province) and 1 816 donors from non-longevity region (Shimen, Hunan province) who donated plasma during June to November 2018 were randomly selected. Triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), apolipoprotein A1 (Apo-A1), apolipoprotein B (Apo-B), and fructosamine (FUN) of the two groups were measured and statistically analyzed. 【Results】 Compared with the non-longevity region group, the TG, TC and FUN levels of longevity hotspot group were lower (1.41±0.96 vs 2.31±1.28, 3.89±0.92 vs 4.04±0.82, 176.65±26.60 vs 200.33±34.19; all P<0.05), but HDLC, LDLC, Apo-A1 and Apo-B levels were higher (1.11±0.32 vs 0.96±0.25, 2.53±0.70 vs 2.29±0.56, 1.56±0.28 vs 1.23±0.18, 0.80±0.27 vs 0.72±0.19; all P<0.05). The yield (%) of high TG(12.0 vs 40.01) and FUN(0.58 vs 2.48), low HDLC(24.63 vs 43.90) and Apo-A1(1.66 vs 22.56) were lower in longevity area than those in non-longevity region (all P<0.05), but high LDLC(2.73 vs 0.28) and Apo-B(4.09 vs 0.22) yield(%) were higher in longevity area group ( P<0.05). The levels of TC, HDLC, LDLC, Apo-A1 and Apo-B were significantly different by ages (all P < 0.01), presenting positively correlated with age, significantly by gender and nationality, and slightly by blood type. 【Conclusion】 The ASCVD indexes of plasma donors from Bama were different from those from Shimen. Age, nationality, gender and blood type of donors from Bama all had a certain influence on these indexes levels.

Evaluación de la concentración de hemoglobina en donantes regulares de plasma / Assessment of haemoglobin concentration in regular plasma donors

INTRODUCCIÓN: está demostrado que la donación de sangre total repetitiva conduce a una deficiencia de hierro, dependiendo fundamentalmente de la frecuencia de donaciones. Sin embargo, el posible efecto que pudiera inducir la plasmaféresis regular sobre la concentración de hemoglobina es un aspecto poco reportado. OBJETIVO: determinar el comportamiento de esta variable y estimar las pérdidas de masa de eritrocitos en donantes de plasmaféresis intensiva nivel 2. MÉTODOS: se realizó un estudio descriptivo longitudinal a través de la revisión de 100 historias clínicas de donantes seleccionados aleatoriamente, para recoger resultados de la determinación de hemoglobina y del hematocrito durante un ciclo de 24 donaciones. Las pérdidas de masa de eritrocito fueron estimadas a través de la medición del volumen y del hematocrito de la sangre total contenida en set de plasmaféresis al finalizar la donación de plasma, sumando a ello la cantidad de sangre total extraída para los estudios de laboratorio. RESULTADOS: se encontró que la concentración promedio de hemoglobina no presentó modificaciones estadísticamente significativas para ambos sexos ni para el grupo total. La pérdida de eritrocitos en un proceso de plasmaféresis fue de aproximadamente 18 mL (9.25 mL remanentes en el set de plasmaféresis y 8.86 mL para muestras de laboratorio), muy cercanos a los 25 mL reglamentados por el Centro para el Control Estatal de la Calidad de los Medicamentos en Cuba (CECMED). CONCLUSIONES: aunque la concentración de hemoglobina y el hematocrito son fácilmente estimadas, su sensibilidad no es buena para la evaluación de la deficiencia de hierro en etapas en que solo sus reservas están disminuidas. La incorporación de otros exámenes de laboratorio más sensibles contribuiría a mejorar la vigilancia de los niveles de hemoglobina en este grupo de individuos(AU)

INTRODUCTION: A close relation between repetitive whole blood donation and iron deficiency has been demonstrated, mainly depending on the frequency of donations. However, the possible effect on hemoglobin concentration that regular plasmapheresis could induce has been scarcely reported. AIM: Determine the behavior of this variant and to estimate red blood cell mass loss in intensive plasmapheresis donor level 2. METHODS: A longitudinal descriptive study was carried out reviewing medical records of 100 randomly selected donors to collect results of the determination of hemoglobin and hematocrit during a cycle of 24 donations. Red cell mass loss was estimated by measuring of volume and hematocrit of whole blood contained in the plasmapheresis set at the end of plasma donation and adding the total amount of blood collected for laboratory tests. RESULTS: Average concentration of hemoglobin showed no statistically significant changes for both, female or male donors. The loss of red blood cell mass in a process of plasma was approximately 18 mL (9.25 mL remaining on the plasma set and 8.86 mL for laboratory tests) which was very close to the limit of 25 mL according to Centro para el Control Estatal de la Calidad de los Medicamentos en Cuba (CECMED) regulations. CONCLUSIONS: Even when hemoglobin and hematocrit concentration are easily estimated, sensitivity is not good for the evaluation of iron deficiency in periods in which only stores are diminished. The inclusion of other more precise laboratory tests will contribute to a better surveillance of haemoglobin levels in this group of individuals(AU)

A retrospective cohort study on the natural history of AIDS caused by blood transfusion / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To study the natural history of AIDS,caused by blood transfusion.Methods All HIV infections and AIDS patients were from Hebei province,including those infected through blood transfusion around 1995,that were identified as through general census of former commercial plasma donors (FCPDs).Among those objects being observed during the incubation period,354 had HIV infections( including 142 cases infected via plasmapheresis and 212 cases caused by transfusion) but had not been treated by HAART before the onset of disease.Objects being observed during the survival period,141 were AIDS patients (including 57 cases infected via plasmapheresis and 84 cases causes by transfusion) but had not been treated by HAART before and after the onset of disease.All infectors and AIDS patients were under follow-up on the progress of illness or death,respectively.Results By December 31,2010,the cumulative incidence among HIV infections was 88.70％ ( 314/354),with the incidence density as 9.14/100 person-years ( 314/3435.75 )and the median incubation period was 113 months.Of 142 HIV infections in the blood donation group and 212 infections in the blood transfusion group,the incubation periods were 112 months and 115 months,respectively.All of the 141 patients died 34 months after the onset,with the death-strength as 204.70/100 person-years (141/68.88) and the period of survival was 4 months.Among those 57 FCPDs infections,they were all died 24 months after the onset,with the death-strength as 250.66/100 person-years (57/22.74) and the survival was 3 months.The other 84 infections who were blood recipients,all died 34 months after the onset,with the death-strength as 182.05/100 person-years (84/ 46.14) and the survival was 4 months.Conclusion Through this study,we noticed that the natural history of all the AIDS patients was caused by blood transmission.It was important to evaluate the natural history of HIV epidemics among both FCPDs and blood recipients,occurred before and after 1995.

Study on the natural history of HIV among former commercial plasma donors caused by contaminated plasma donation in central China / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To investigate the natural history of HIV infection caused by contaminated plasma donation among former commercial plasma donors in China. Methods Ambispective cohort study among HIV/AIDS cases and suspected AIDS deaths was conducted from January 1,1995 to March 31,2008 in 7 administrative villages in Shangcai county of Henan province.Information regarding diagnostic criteria, deaths and anti-retrovirus treatment was collected.Incubation and survival time were calculated using Kaplan-Meier and life-tables method. Sensitive analysis on the time of outcome was conducted. Results A total number of 2569 cases of HIV infection including 483 suspected AIDS deaths were involved in a cohort. 200 patients with rapid progress (7.8%) and 337 long-term but non-progressive patients (13.1%) were identified. Results from the sensitive analysis showed that the median incubation period from HIV infection to AIDS was between 8.5 and 8.9 years, with incidence as 11.7-12.0 cases/100 person-years and the median survival time for HIV progression to death was from 8.8 to 10.7 years, with the death rate as 6.9-8.3 cases/100 person-years. The median survival time for AIDS patient was from 1.2 to 2.0 years, with death rate as 34.9-51.5 cases/100 person-years. Conclusion According to sensitive analysis, the incubation period for HIV progression to AIDS, the median survival time for HIV progression to death and the median survival time for AIDS patient to death were 8.8 years, 1.2 years and 9.8 years,respectively.

Analysis on HIV/AIDS epidemic characteristics in Henan Province / 中华疾病控制杂志

Objective To analyze HIV/AIDS epidemic characteristics in Henan Province.Methods The database of HIV/AIDS cases information and follow-up information from the national online case reporting were downloaded.Comprehensive analysis was performed.Results 42 879 cases were confirmed and reported HIV positive,69.05% were former paid plasma donors at the end of 2008.Among these cases reported in 2008,26.64% were heterosexual transmission,and 49.59% (1 802) were found via voluntary counseling and testing.Conclusions The epidemic characteristics of HIV/AIDS in Henan Province was mainly among former paid plasma donors.But the transmission through plasma donor had been interdicted.While the proportion of sexual transmission was increasing,this suggested that education and behavior intervention should be strengthened in order to interrupt further transmission.Counseling and testing become main source of detecting HIV infection.