Analysis of Pre- and Post- Donation Calcium Status in Healthy Donors Undergoing Plateletpheresis

Abstract

Background Plateletpheresis is a process in which the whole blood is collected from a donor platelets alone are separated and the remaining blood components are infused back to the donor. Recently the use of single donor platelet SDP concentrates has grown steadily due to its employment in chemotherapy protocols. However plateletpheresis requires citrate to be infused so that clotting of the extra corporeal blood can be prevented in the apheresis machine.Despite compensatory mechanisms citrate infusion can result in decrease in calcium levels to a point where symptoms develop in the donor.Objective To compare pre donation and post donation calcium status in donors and analyse the statistical differences and to study the adverse effects of calcium deficiency among the donors.Methodology The study was conducted at Swamy Vivekananda charitable blood bank Bellary and sixty donors were recruited for the study. Standard operating procedures derived from Director General of Health Services DGHS guidelines for donor selection were followed. Pre and post donation calcium status was estimated and analysed statistically.Results Among the sixty healthy donors 25 had modest levels of calcium ranging from 8.5-9.8 mgdL with negligible symptoms and 17 had low levels ranging from 8.0-8.8 mgdL with mild symptoms. None of the cases had any serious complications even though the results showed statistically significant difference in pre donation and post donation calcium levels.Conclusion Plateletpheresis performed on cell separators are safe and decrease in post donation calcium levels do not cause serious clinical manifestations. Proactive donor vigilance and supervision by transfusion medicine specialist will make donors safe and encourage voluntary donation.