Autologous donation
In certain cases, giving blood for your own use (autologous donation) is an alternative to receiving blood from the general blood supply.
Autologous donation should only be considered if the
- surgeon anticipates needing blood
- surgeon agrees to the procedure
- the recipient's state of health is acceptable to the Western Province Blood Transfusion Service's physicians
Advantages
Recipients run no risk of contracting any infection that a volunteer donor might carry
and there is no risk of adverse reaction as a result of incompatibility.
Disadvantages
- It is a time-consuming procedure.
- It is more expensive than a normal transfusion because of special arrangements required for collection, storage and additional
tests to ensure the donor does not become anaemic.
- If surgery is postponed, the blood can expire and will be discarded, incurring additional costs.
- In the event of unexpected haemorrhage during surgery it may be necessary to supplement the supply with volunteer donor blood.
Criteria for autologous donation
- Donors must be in good health and fulfil most of the health requirements for normal donation.
- Healthy persons between the ages of 12 and 70
- At least 50kg in weight
- Haemoglobin level of 11g or more
- Normal blood pressure
- Normal pulse rate
- Pregnant women are accepted provided there are no complications with their pregnancy
Deferral criteria for autologous donation
- Cardiac disease or those with a history of aneurysms or strokes
- Severe respiratory disorders such as asthma and emphysema
- Unstable insulin-dependent diabetes
- Convulsions after infancy
- Some cancers, bleeding disorders or other major blood group diseases
- Dental work three days or less prior to donation
- Recent antibiotic therapy or infection may be accepted after our medical assessment
There are exceptions where persons with these conditions may be able to donate under supervision of WPBTS staff and a physician.
To ensure the safety of the donor, hospitalisation may be necessary for each donation.
Costs
Blood obtained through autologous donation is more expensive than that of voluntary donation. There is no
charge for the blood itself, but donors are charged for expenses incurred during the donation, testing,
cross-matching process and for delivery.
Unused autologous units are not absorbed into the regular blood supply unless the donor is a regular blood
donor, has donated within the last 12 months or fulfils WPBTS criteria.
All charges are billed to the recipient whether they receive the blood or not.
Arranging autologous donation
Prospective donors can speak to their surgeon about this option. The surgical procedure should be planned with sufficient time
to allow for the donation of the appropriate number of units.
Contact the WPBTS Autologous Donation Unit at (021) 507-6320 to schedule appointments.
It is important to remember that even though the recipient's doctor gives permission for an autologous donation,
the blood bank medical director has the right not to accept a donor if they believe it would be unsafe for them to donate.
Designated donation
Designated donation is a procedure where family members or friends with a compatible
blood group donate for recipients and is only suitable for elective procedures.
Designated donation may be used as an alternative to the volunteer donor blood supply and may be
used either solely or in combination with the recipient's own blood.
Advantages
- Recipients can choose which donor's blood they receive.
- Designated donation gives the recipient peace of mind when facing stressful medical conditions.
- Donors have the satisfaction of knowing that they have helped a friend or family member.
Disadvantages
- Studies have shown that designated donation may be no safer than using blood from the general supply.
- There are risks involved when using blood from a relative, such as the possibility of graft versus host disease.
Criteria
Sufficient planning is required prior to transfusion for the WPBTS to obtain, test and process the required number of units.
The WPBTS will accept only designated donors who fulfil all the health criteria expected of volunteer donors.
Deferral criteria for designated donation
Recipients
- It is not advisable for women of childbearing age to receive donations from their husbands or his
relatives, as this could lead to the development of blood group antibodies which could affect the safety of future pregnancies.
Designated donors may not be acceptable if they have;
- a history of hepatitis (jaundice)
- visited a malaria area recently
- had diarrhoea or vomiting in the past 30 days
- had dental work three days or less before donation
- a current minor infection (with or without antibiotic therapy)
- a history of sexually transmitted disease
- changed sexual partners in the last six months
- a serious medical condition
Costs
Blood obtained through designated donation is more expensive than that of voluntary donation. There is no charge for the
blood itself, but donors are charged for the expenses incurred during the donation, testing, the
cross-matching process and delivery.
Additional costs may be incurred for the irradiation of units donated by relatives and transport outside the WPBTS regions of operation.
All charges are billed to the recipient whether they receive the blood or not.
Unused designated units are not returned to the volunteer blood supply unless the donor is a
regular donor who has donated within the last 12 months and fulfils in WPBTS donation criteria.
Arranging designated donation
Request forms must be completed by the recipient and their doctor and handed to the sister in charge of the Autologous Donation Unit.
Blood samples will be taken to check the recipient's blood group and test for blood group antibodies.
Prospective donors should contact the Autologous Donation Unit at the WPBTS for an appointment to check their suitability as donors.
In the case of autologous and/or designated donation, you will be required to complete the usual donor questionnaire.
For more information, please contact us at 021-5076300 or info@wpbts.org.za
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