Blood donation and epilepsy: Eligibility and considerations

Abstract

Blood donation, the foundation of modern medicine, saves many lives through surgeries and therapies for chronic conditions. However, the short shelf life of red blood cells and limits on potential donors make it difficult to ensure a consistent supply. Epilepsy, a neurological disease characterised by repeated seizures, frequently leads to exclusion from donation due to concerns about seizure risk and fainting during the procedure. Recent study has not definitely connected donations to higher seizures in well-managed epilepsy, prompting a call to reconsider these limits. Modern blood donation clinics stress safety, and overly strict criteria may unfairly disqualify qualified donors. To achieve a balanced approach that prioritises both safety and inclusivity, potential avenues include individualised assessments that take seizure frequency and overall health into account, additional research to determine true seizure risks, updated guidelines based on new findings, and educational initiatives for both donors and medical staff. Finally, broadening eligibility to well-controlled epilepsy patients has the potential to dramatically enlarge the donor pool, alleviate the existing scarcity, and empower people living with epilepsy to participate to this life-saving effort.