Check Blood Donors for Iron Deficiency

Internationally, iron deficiency accounts for up to 70% of
deferrals for a low haemoglobin concentration, a critical cause of
donor loss. The US RISE study showed that after deferral for low
haemoglobin, 15% of repeat donors never returned and another 14%
returned only once. In response to questions regarding local donor health,
South African National Blood Services (SANBS) and Western
Province Blood Transfusion Service (WPBTS) embarked on
a collaborative study during 2014 to assess the iron status of South
African blood donors.

Modern Medicine – September 2017