Analysis of heart rate variability during blood donation / 中国输血杂志

ABSTRACT

【Objective】 To observe the regulation of autonomic nerves in blood donors during blood donation by heart rate variability analysis and explore the possible mechanism of donation related vasovagal reaction. 【Methods】 Electrocardiogram (ECG) of 90 blood donors was monitored by Fontaine Ⅰlead during the whole process of blood donation, and the 5-min heart rate variation before, during and after blood donation was analyzed. 【Results】 During the whole process of blood donation, the sympathetic HRV index (LF nu) and the sympathetic and vagal balance ability index (LF/HF) increased, whereas the vagal nerve index (pNN50, RMSSD, HFnu) and heart rate variability index (SDNN, Total power) decreased. For baseline heart rate variability of different blood donors (first-time vs. repeated, male vs. female, 18-24 years old vs. ≥25 years old, <400 mL vs. 400 mL) before blood donation, the pNN50, RMSSD and Total power of 18-24 years old blood donors were higher, but other indicators showed no significant difference. There were differences in HRV indexes of different types of blood donors during blood donation compared with before blood donation. The decrease of pNN50 and HFnu and the increase of LF/HF were larger in experienced blood donors than in first-time blood donors. The decrease of RMSSD was larger in male blood donors than in female blood donors; the change of LF/HF was larger in blood donors aged≥25 years than in blood donors aged 18-24 years; other indicators had no significant difference. 【Conclusion】 Blood donation leads to reflex readjustment of the cardiac autonomic tone the sympathetic nerve is excited while the vagal nerve is suppressed. The cardiac autonomic nerve function of first-time blood donors, female donors and low-age (18-24 years old) donors to blood donation stress is not fully regulated. Donation related vasovagal reaction may be related to the autonomic nerve regulation function of blood donors.