Aims

• Evidence-based iron level assessment at donation
• Maximising donor welfare

Key Findings

• Repeated donation can deplete iron stores below the recommended ferritin level and longer donation intervals, especially for female donors, may be an effective measure to mitigate donor iron deficiency.
• Haemoglobin estimation alone in both whole blood and plateletpheresis donors may not be adequate. Our results support the value of serum ferritin measurement in donor welfare management.
  • THE HIDDEN IMPACT OF REPEATED DONATION: Haemoglobin and Ferritin Iron levels in Irish Blood donors
    Allison Waters, Dearbhla Butler, Maha Islam, Liam Burke, Dermot Coyne, Tor Hervig. - Oral Presentation ISBT 2023
  •  Serum ferritin in plateletpheresis and whole blood donors. Frances Duggan, Kathleen O'Sullivan, Joan P Power, Michael Healy, William G Murphy. Transfus Apher Sci. 2016 Aug;55(1):159-63.

On-going Research 

• Assessment of ferritin levels in Irish whole blood donors
• Impact of repeated whole blood donation on heamoglobin iron levels