Are we donating iron? Impact of apheresis on ferritin

Iron deficiency due to donation by apheresis has been known for decades [1], but data on this topic are more limited compared to that on whole blood donors. Because of the increasing trend of both the usage of platelets components (e.g. in the US, an almost 16% increase in 2019 compared to 2017 [2]) and the rising activity of source plasma collection [3], the number of healthy individuals undergoing automated blood donations is predicted to significantly grow. At the same time, the protection of blood donors from iron deficiency has become one of the major challenges in donor care [4] with the aim not to harm healthy volunteers and to retain active blood donors on the long term.

Source: Transfusion and Apheresis Science - February 24, 2023 Category: Hematology Authors: Laura Infanti Source Type: research