Background and Objectives Donor criteria for diabetes vary significantly. We describe our evolving policies for donors with diabetes, their contribution to the Canadian blood supply and their rate of syncopal reactions compared to other donors. Materials and Methods All donors are asked if they have diabetes and have taken medications in the last 3 days. We assessed donors with diabetes on various medications, the number deferred over time, and syncopal reactions in donors with diabetes and other donors in our donor reaction database. Results Policy changes allowing type 2 diabetic donors on oral hypoglycaemics alone, type 2 diabetic donors on oral medications and insulin and type 1 diabetic donors (all on insulin) to donate resulted in a decrease in deferrals from 450 to 22 donors annually. Of donors being treated with medication for diabetes, 11% are receiving insulin as part of their treatment. Syncopal reaction rates were low and not statistically different between diabetic and non‐diabetic donors, although confidence intervals (CIs) are large. Conclusion Policies decreased deferrals while maintaining safety. A longer observation period would strengthen these observations.
Background and Objectives: Policies regarding medication use vary between blood centres. We evaluated medication use in eligible Canadian Blood Services whole blood donors to inform possible process improvements and allow comparisons between donors and the general population. Materials and Methods: All donors are asked about medication use in the last 3 days, and medications and their reason for use are documented in our donor computer system. Donor computer records were reviewed from January 1, 2020, to March 31, 2022 to extract information on medications by donor age and sex; medications were grouped into therapeutic classes. Stability of medication use over time was determined in a random sample of 100 donors who made at least two donations in the study period. Results: One-third of successful (eligible) donors were taking medications; of these, 80% were on one or two medications. Five classes of medication accounted for 72% of medication use, and 13 classes account for 93% of use. Use remains relatively stable over time. Conclusion: Medication use is common, with a few classes accounting for most use. Drop-down lists and storage of information from one donation to the next may enhance efficiency.
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