Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs

NSAIDs or nonsteroidals.

Assess the reason for treatment and see if there is a relevant index entry.

1. Must not donate if:
Taken for a serious long-term illness including cardiovascular disease.

2. Platelets:
If the donor has taken a NSAID drug in the 48 hours before attending, their donation must not be used for the preparation of platelets and other blood components intended to treat thrombocytopenia and/or platelet dysfunction.

If medication is self-prescribed, the donation will not be used to prepare platelets and other blood components intended to treat thrombocytopenia and/or platelet dysfunction, and the donor meets all other criteria, accept.

Cardiovascular Disease
Drug Index - preparations which may affect platelet function

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can stop platelets (small fragments of cells that help control bleeding) from working properly. Platelets may be manufactured from whole blood or component (apheresis) donations. Blood Services may produce other components that included functional platelets, including some forms of whole blood. As these are used to control or prevent bleeding in patients, it is essential that they do not include platelets affected by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Taking these drugs will not affect the use of a donation for red cell transfusion (the commonest use) but, the reason they are being taken, might.

The entry has been revised to add reference to other blood components that contain active platelets.

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