Pattern of care of blood donors with early-uncomplicated hereditary haemochromatosis in a Swiss blood donation centre.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
We describe the recognition and pattern of care of voluntary blood donors with early-uncomplicated genetic haemochromatosis in our blood donation centre.


MATERIALS AND METHODS
Asymptomatic volunteers with suspicion of hereditary haemochromatosis (HH) due to an elevated ferritin level on routine screening were referred for further investigation. Alternatively, we accepted subjects with prediagnosed HH on referral. In the case of early-uncomplicated genetic haemochromatosis, either standard whole blood donation (WBD) or double-erythrocytapheresis (DEC) was offered.


RESULTS
A median of six procedures was needed to achieve a ferritin value below 100 ng/ml in the WBD group and of four in the DEC group (P = 0·5). The rate of donation side-effects was higher in the DEC group, while the costs it generated were equivalent to WBD.


CONCLUSION
Compared with WBD, DEC had no beneficial effect on treatment number, length of treatment, side-effects or treatment budget in early-uncomplicated HH. Integrating donors with uncomplicated genetic haemochromatosis to blood donation programmes can supplement blood stores and provide the donors with a cost-effective and altruistic purpose of treatment.
['Stefashyna|O|O|', 'Stern|M|M|', 'Infanti|L|L|', 'Holbro|A|A|', 'Tichelli|A|A|', 'Buser|A|A|', "O'Meara|A|A|"]
D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D001781:Blood Component Removal D001782:Blood Donors D005260:Female D005293:Ferritins D006432:Hemochromatosis D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D013557:Switzerland D055815:Young Adult
haemochromatosis blood donation whole blood donation HFE mutation erythrocytapheresis