The care of all donors at blood collection venues should incorporate research-based therapeutic interventions to reduce the risk of adverse events of donation.
All adverse reactions in donors should be documented and reported according to standard protocols. It is recommended that as a minimum data are collected and reviewed on all donor adverse events of donation using the International Haemovigilance Network (IHN) definitions ofcomplications related to blood donation.3 The blood services in the UK have also agreed definitions for Serious Adverse Events of Donation (SAEDs, see Appendix I). This will allow comparison over time and between services of event rates, and monitoring of the effectiveness of any interventions to reduce event rates. SAEDs should be investigated with root cause analysis or similar tools to ensure that proper preventative and corrective actions are implemented.
Serious adverse reactions occurring in donors during or post-donation must be reported to the Competent Authority according to the Blood Establishment protocol.