Complications of Blood Donation: Manual and Automated Collection Procedures

Safe blood donation is an integral component of the chain that ultimately leads to transfusion therapy. Most blood donations, both manual and automated, are uneventful. However, complications do occur, and in some cases significant morbidity may be a consequence. Such complications are more frequently associated with manual procedures. The most important of these, vasovagal reactions and nerve injury, may result in hospitalization or long-term sequelae. Automated collections of platelets, plasma, or red cells are rarely associated with severe problems.