• Mahtab Maghsudlu, Soheila Nasizadeh, Hassan Abolghasemi, Sedigheh Amini Kafiabad, Farhad Razjou, Akram Aghamohamadi, Mohammad Reza Deyhim, and Gilda Esmailifar.
• Iranian Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Iran. Electronic address: m.maghsudlu@ibto.ir.
• Transfus Apher Sci. 2013 Dec 1;49(3):463-7.

BackgroundThe minimum Hb for blood donation varies from nation to nation. This study assessed the impact of blood donation on donors' iron stores based on different Hb levels. An estimation of drop in the blood collection was made with the new suggested Hb cut-off value.Materials And Methods2017 male donors were studied. A questionnaire was filled out to gather demographic data, history of donation and risk factors of iron loss. Their blood samples were analyzed for RBC parameters, serum iron, TIBC, and ferritin level. The iron status of all first-time and regular donors was determined for each Hb level. The impact of changing the Hb cut-off value on annual blood collection was assessed.ResultsAll of the regular donors with Hb levels <13.1g/dL and 75% of those donors with Hb levels of 13.1-13.5 g/dL had abnormal iron stores. Iron deficiency dropped to 35% in donors with Hb levels of 13.5-14 g/dL. It was estimated that increasing the Hb cut-off from 12.5 g/dL to 13 g/dL or to 13.5 g/dL would cause a drop of 0.82% and 2.77% in the annual blood collection, respectively.DiscussionA modification in the minimum Hb level for blood donation is necessary when Hb is used as the single criterion for screening donors. Increasing the minimum Hb level will lead to an increase in donor deferral; therefore a comprehensive donor retention program will be needed.Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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