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Teenage Blood Donors Encouraged but Complications Deter

As the number of Americans age 20 and older who are eligible to donate blood to the nation’s regional blood centers is dwindling, the American Red Cross is relying more heavily than ever on teenage blood donors to help meet the increasing demand for blood.  While complications related to blood donations are infrequent and usually minor, teenagers seem to be more prone to them than their more mature counterparts.  The American Red Cross is evaluating measures to make blood donations safer and more attractive to teenagers while working to change laws prohibiting teens from donating blood in states where the practice is banned.

The most common complications associated with blood donations include bruising at the injection site, lightheadedness, and fainting.  Injuries sustained during a faint are sometimes severe enough to require outside medical treatment and have included concussion, cuts that require stitches, broken jaws, and other dental injuries.

Such complications were recorded 10.7% of the time after teens aged 16 and 17 donated blood.  Complications decrease as age increases.  Teens aged 18 and 19 experienced complications 8.3% of the time and donors age 20 and older experienced similar complications only 2.8% of the time.

The American Red Cross derived these numbers by reviewing adverse reactions occurring after blood donations from 1996 to 2005.  Only 86 adverse events were reported during that period of time affecting 16- and 17-year-old teens, or only 5.9 events for every 10,000 teens of that age who donated blood.  High school blood drives account for 80% of the blood donated by teens in this age bracket, who donated about 14.5% of all blood in 2006.

Teenagers experiencing complications are less likely to become repeat donors, with only 52% of them returning for donation in the 12 months following a donation with complications versus the 73% of teens who return when there are no complications incurred.

In its effort to generate interest in blood donations among teenagers, the American Red Cross is advocating legislative change in states where blood donation by teenagers is prohibited.  The organization is also evaluating ways to minimize risk of complications, especially in the youngest teens, as fewer adults are eligible to meet the growing need for blood throughout the country.

Source: JAMA

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