Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia in blood donors at a tertiary care hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of iron deficiency anemia among the blood donors. Methods: A prospective, single center cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Blood Transfusion Services, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad, Pakistan, from February 2017 to June 2017. A total of 528 blood donors who donated blood without prior screening for hemoglobin levels were enrolled for this study. Blood samples were tested for six hematological and five biochemical parameters including hemoglobin level, red cell count, packed cell volume, mean cell volume, mean cell hemoglobin, mean cell hemoglobin concentration, serum ferritin, iron, total iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation, and unsaturated iron binding capacity. Results: Of 528 blood donors, 251 (47.53%) were first-time donors, 203 (38.44%) had donated twice previously but not in the past 12 months, and 74 (14.01%) were regular donors with minimum three donations per year. All of the donors were males with a mean age of 29.2 years (range = 18–56 years). Of these, the regular donors showed the reduction in mean values of the parameters studied. Conclusion: The blood bank management needs to review the donor selection criteria for donation. Regular voluntary donors should be given an iron supplement to prevent the depletion of iron stores.