Table II.
Donor variables that contribute or potentially contribute to red blood cell component composition and quality.
| Donor variable | Used as selection criteria | Acceptance limits or information documented by blood centre |
|---|---|---|
| Sex | No | Documented |
| Age | Yes | Minimum-maximum limits apply; limits vary between jurisdictions |
| Body weight | Yes | Minimum weight limit; varies between jurisdictions |
| Body mass index | No | Not systematically documented |
| Blood pressure | Yes/No | May be documented; varies between jurisdictions |
| Blood group antigens | No | ABO, Rhesus D are documented; other alloantigens are documented if extended typing performed |
| Hb level | Yes | Different acceptance limits for female and male donors; varies between jurisdictions |
| Other RBC indices (cell concentration, cell size, haematocrit, etc.) | No | Not routinely measured for whole blood donations |
| Iron deficiency | Yes* | *Applies only to centres that have implemented routine screening |
| Diagnosed RBC pathologies or carrier traits (G6PD deficiency, haemochromatosis, sickle cell trait, thalassaemia carriers, etc.) | Yes/No | Acceptance of donors varies between jurisdictions |
| Diagnosed medical conditions (diabetes; obesity; metabolic syndrome; inflammatory conditions; immunosuppressive conditions; allergy; respiratory conditions; auto-immune diseases; hormonal imbalance; hypertension; hyperlipidaemia; periodontitis; previous non-haematologic cancer; intestinal, kidney, liver conditions) | No** | Not systematically documented **Donor acceptance dependent on the donor reporting to be well at the time of donation |
| Health and lifestyle choices (diet; vitamins and supplements; contraceptive/hormonal therapies; tobacco intake; alcohol consumption; physical activity) | No | Not systematically documented |
| Immediately prior to donation (food, drink consumed; high physical activity; vitamins, supplements, medication taken; tobacco intake; anxiety, stress level) | No | Not systematically documented |
| Inter-donation interval | Yes | Minimum time period since previous donation varies between jurisdictions |
| Seasonality of donation | No | Documented |
| Unknown or undisclosed variables (undiagnosed conditions or diseases, e.g. cardiovascular disease, diabetes, RBC or haematologic pathologies, inflammatory or immunosuppressive disorders, auto-immune diseases, lung, intestinal, kidney or liver conditions, etc.; pre-clinical conditions, e.g. pre-diabetes; metabolic variants; genetic variants) | Not possible | Unknown variable; cannot be documented |
Hb: haemoglobin; RBC: red blood cell.