Predonation drink: A simple and cost-effective strategy to mitigate vasovagal reactions among whole blood donors, a study from North India

Abstract

Background and Objectives: In various clinical studies, water drinking is used to counteract orthostatic hypotension in healthy individuals. Thus, predonation water drinking was used as a strategy to attenuate vasovagal donor reactions in whole blood donors. The objective was to assess the effectiveness of predonation water-drinking strategy on vasovagal reactions (VVRs) in whole blood donors. Methods: A total of 6478 healthy blood donors were assessed during the study period. These donors were randomly assigned in groups receiving or not receiving 300–500 ml of water 20–30 min before whole blood donation. Results: The rate of VVR was 1.2% in blood donors given predonation water versus 2.8% in donors not given a predonation water, P < 0.05. Ingestion of 300–500 ml of water before whole blood donation had significantly decreased VVRs 1.2% versus 2.8% (OR 0.48; 95% CI – 0.33–0.69 vs. OR 2.10; 95% CI – 1.44–3.04). Thus, predonation water drinking was associated with less VVRs. Conclusion: About 300–500 ml of water drinking significantly reduced the vasovagal donor reaction rate in otherwise healthy blood donors. The ingestion of water by blood donors did not interfere with the donor management process such as donor questioning, mini physical examination, blood collection, and sampling, and was judged by blood collection staff as donor friendly and an easy protocol to implement.

Keywords

• bradycardia
• hypotension
• predonation water drinking
• syncope
• vasovagal reactions
• whole blood donor