Transfusion
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Comparative Study
Anemia screening in potential female blood donors: comparison of two different quantitative methods.
Anemia screening before blood donation requires an accurate, quick, practical, and easy method with minimal discomfort for the donors. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of two quantitative methods of anemia screening: the HemoCue 201(+) (Aktiebolaget Leo Diagnostics) hemoglobin (Hb) and microhematocrit (micro-Hct) tests. ⋯ The HemoCue 201(+) showed greater discriminating power for detecting anemia in prospective blood donors than the micro-Hct method. Both presented equivalent deferral error rates of nonanemic potential donors. Compared to the micro-Hct, HemoCue 201(+) reduces the risk of anemic female donors giving blood, specially for those with lower Hb levels, without increasing the deferral of nonanemic potential donors.
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Methylene blue (MB) treatment of plasma is known to reduce the activity of clotting factors, but its effect on thrombin generation and clot formation is not well documented. ⋯ It is concluded that MB treatment is associated with a reduction in the thrombin-generating capacity of plasma, but has very little effect on the strength of clot formation as assessed by thrombelastometry. The thrombin-generating capacity of standard and MB plasma is relatively unaltered by subsequent storage of thawed plasma at 4 degrees C for 24 hours.