(P-BC-34) Impact of Severe Vasovagal and Non-Vasovagal Reactions on Retention Rates of First-Time Blood Donors

Serious vasovagal reactions are rare but more common among first-time donors.¹ Such negative experiences inversely affect donor retention.

This study aimed to determine the rates, among first-time blood donors (FTDs), of severe vasovagal reactions (SVR, i.e., any loss of consciousness with or without injury), and of serious non-vasovagal reactions (SNVR, i.e., larger hematoma, citrate reactions, prolonged recovery) during or immediately after blood donation across several blood donation centers in the US. The likelihood of donor retention was compared between FTDs having such reactions to those not having any reactions.

Study

Design/Methods:

The SVR, SNVR, donation, and demographic data were extracted from donor database between 2022-2023 using SQL and analyzed in SAS. Bivariate analysis for comparison of first-time donor retention among age-groups with or without SVR/SNVR were performed using Chi-square tests of independence. Associations between donor retention as the outcome, and the age-group of FTDs, and occurrence of SVRs/SNVRs as the determinants were determined using multiple logistic regression analysis. A significance level of 0.05 was used to determine the statistical significance.

Results/Findings:

Vasovagal reactions were reported in 116,713 (2.5%) of 4.76 mi donations. Nearly 50% of FTDs were less than 30 years age, and about 4% of donors were aged greater than 70. SVRs occurred in 0.16% of all donations and were more common among the first-time donors (0.56%) than repeat donors (0.11%). Moreover, SNVRs occurred in 0.09% of all donations; 0.11% among first-time donations, and 0.08% among repeat donations.

Younger (18-35 age group) FTDs are more likely to have a SVR than older donors (p< 0.0001). Age-specific likelihoods for first-time donor retention were significantly less among donors having a SVR compared to those not. However, age-specific likelihoods for donor retention were not significantly different for most donors having a SNVR compared to those not. Regardless of the age, FTDs having a SVR were less likely to be retained as potential donors compared to those not.

 

Conclusions:

Though SVR are rare, they negatively impact donor retention among FTDs regardless of the donor age-group. Such associations are less significant after serious non-vasovagal reactions.