The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of iron deficiency in blood donors at the Santa Casa Blood Bank and to establish the frequency of iron deficient blood donors according to first-time and multiple donors, the total number of lifetime donations and the frequency of donations per year. Between 5th and 20th October 2004, one hundred blood donors were studied using the biochemical measurement of serum ferritin and red blood cell indices. The frequency of iron deficiency in blood donors was 16.0%. The frequency of iron deficiency was higher in non-first-time than in first-time female blood donors (10.5% versus 17.7%; p<0.05). The frequency of iron deficiency was higher in the multiple blood donors and this difference was statistically significative in female blood donors after more than four donations (p<0.05) and among female blood donors with two or more donations per year (p<0.05). We conclude that blood donation is a very important factor of iron deficiency in female blood donors, particularly in multiple donors. The high frequency of blood donors with iron deficiency found in this study suggests the necessity for more accurate laboratory screening, as the hemoglobin or hematocrit measurements alone are insufficient to detect and exclude blood donors with iron deficiency without anemia.
Blood donors; iron deficiency; ferritin
