SHOULD CARDIAC DISEASE PREVENT AUTOLOGOUS BLOOD DONATION

AIDS has created considerable concern among the public regarding being transfused with potentially infectious blood. However, autologous blo od donations are still not maximally provided nor utilized. Significan t heart disease disqualifies all allogeneic and most autologous blood donors (American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) Standards 1994). Di squalification is based on the widespread belief that donating blood c ould possibly be detrimental to their health. However, this belief has not been sufficiently documented. Sixty-eight donors (ages 14-84 year s), all with histories of significant cardiac diseases, donated 111 un its of whole blood (13 units). Twenty-eight patients donated 1 unit, 3 7 donated 2 units, and three patients donated 3 units. Fifty-nine pati ents had ischemic heart disease, and nine had valvular heart disease ( five with mitral stenosis and four with mitral valve prolapse). No pat ient received erythropoietin, and only one received equal volume repla cement with normal saline during donation. All these patients eagerly wished to donate in spite of being informed of the possible complicati ons. No patient wishing to donate has been refused, and none has exper ienced any adverse consequences from donating. Forty-four patients und erwent total hip/knee replacements. Only 56 units (50%) were transfuse d to 37 patients (54%). Although our experience is limited, it appears that many patients with histories of well established cardiac disease s can easily tolerate donating blood without compromising their health . (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.