Background: Observational data suggest that some donors might benefit from donating while others may be harmed. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and potential, routinely measured, determinants of pre- and post-donation symptoms.
Materials and methods: In Donor InSight, questionnaire data from 23,064 whole blood donors (53% female) were linked to routinely measured data on donors' physical characteristics (haemoglobin, blood pressure, body mass index and estimated blood volume) from the Dutch donor database. Absolute and relative associations between donors' physical donor and the presence of pre- and post-donation symptoms were studied using multivariable logistic regression.
Results: Pre-donation symptoms (lack of energy, headaches) were reported by 3% of men and 3% of women. Five percent of men and 4% of women reported positive post-donation symptoms (feeling fit, fewer headaches). Negative symptoms (fatigue, dizziness) were more common, occurring in 8% of men and 19% of women. All the studied donors' physical characteristics were positively associated with pre- and positive post-donation symptoms and negatively associated with negative symptoms. Body mass index was most consistently and independently associated with symptoms.
Discussion: Donors' physical characteristics, in particular body mass index, were consistently associated with pre- and post-donation symptoms. This indicates that subgroups of donors more and less tolerant to donation might be identifiable using routinely measured data. Further research is warranted to study underlying mechanisms and potential strategies to predict and prevent donor reactions.