Donor Eligibility
Minimum hemoglobin/hematocrit thresholds for donor eligibility (women vs. men)?
12.5 g/dL (38%) for women
13 g/dL (39%) for men
Standard whole blood collection volumes (with tolerances)?
450 +/- 45 mL
500 +/- 50 mL
Which ABO tests are required during donor testing?
forward & reverse
Name three core infectious disease screens required for all donors.
HIV, HBV, HCV (also HTLV, syphilis, WNV NAT per policy)
Primary screening test used for syphilis in donors?
RPR (reagin test) with confirmatory treponemal assay if reactive
Minimum interval between single-unit whole blood donations?
8 weeks
What is the purpose of the diversion pouch in whole blood collection?
Diverts 10-40 mL to remove the skin plug and reduce contamination
When must weak D testing be performed for donors?
On all initially Rh(D) negative donors
What is the principal advantage of NAT over antibody testing in donor screening?
Detects viral RNA/DNA during the serologic window period
Which mosquito-borne virus requires NAT screening of donors?
West Nile Virus (WNV)
Minimum age requirement for allogeneic donation in the U.S.?
16 years (or state law)
Name one anticoagulant solution used in whole blood collection bags.
CPD, CP2D, or CPDA-1
If D typing and weak D are both negative (controls acceptable), what is the unit’s Rh label?
Rh(D) negative
Which retroviruses must donors be screened for by antibody?
HTLV types I and II
Which protozoan parasite is screened once per lifetime in U.S. donors by antibody testing?
Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas disease) IgG
List two physical exam parameters that must fall within acceptable ranges before donation.
Temperature; BP; Pulse
Most common pre-donation reaction
Vasovagal
A donor has a clinically significant alloantibody. Which components are generally unsuitable and how is labeling handled for others?
Plasma/platelets not used; RBCs may be used with antigen specificity noted on the label
Which tick-borne parasite is screened by NAT in endemic U.S. regions?
Babesia microti
Which herpesvirus consideration can alter component selection for high-risk recipients?
Cytomegalovirus (CMV); provide CMV-negative or leukoreduced units
After pregnancy, when may a donor be accepted for allogeneic donation?
6+ weeks
Typical apheresis-related reaction from anticoagulant
Citrate toxicity
State one reaso reverse grouping may appear discrepant in donors and what you would do before labeling.
Low/absent expected isoagglutinins or subgroup (e.g., A2 with anti-A1); resolve discrepancy before labeling
Define a look-back investigation in blood banking.
Tracing/quarantining prior components and notifying recipients/facilities after a donor screens positive
Which pathogens are effectively inactivated by solvent/detergent processing of plasma derivatives, and which are not?
Effective: lipid-enveloped viruses (HIV, HBV, HCV, HTLV, CMV); Not: non-enveloped (HAV, parvovirus B19)