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IRON AND BLOOD DONATION: 1. EVALUATION OF A KIT METHOD FOR ROUTINE USE IN A BLOOD TRANSFUSION SERVICE
Author(s) -
Dawson Diane,
Prior Michael,
Duncan Bruce,
Beal Robert
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1976.tb115393.x
Subject(s) - blood donor , blood transfusion , medicine , service (business) , donation , intensive care medicine , surgery , immunology , business , economics , economic growth , marketing
Manifest iron‐deficiency anaemia is preceded by a latent stage in which normal haemoglobin levels coexist with low serum iron levels. Regular blood donation involves the removal of significant amounts of iron, and in susceptible donors, may aggravate iron deficiency. It is important for a blood transfusion service to be able to identify these susceptible donors. A commercial kit for the determination of serum iron levels was evaluated and found suitable for introduction as a routine screening test for a transfusion service. A survey of serum iron levels of 200 blood donors showed that 12½% had levels below the normal reference range.