Category Archives: Clinical

Blood Bank – 05

Author:  Philip Ferguson

Blood donation requirements and situations.

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1. If a potential donor currently lives with and has had sex with (6 months prior) an individual with hepatitis C, what is the waiting time (if any) before the potential donor is eligible to donate blood?
2. A 42 year old female comes to a blood drive to donate blood.  She has a history of IV drug use for a short period of time when she was in college.  She was treated for gonorrhea 6 months ago.  She also lived in Costa Rica for 1 year (returned 2 years ago), and was diagnosed and successfully treated for malaria upon her return to the US.  When would this person be eligible to donate blood?
3. What is the appropriate deferral for a male potential blood donor with a history of sex with another male?
4. How long should a blood donor wait before donating blood after receiving a hepatitis B vaccination?
5. What is the minimum hemoglobin value for a male to donate blood?
6. A patient has used Accutane for several years, and stopped the medication 2 months prior.  Which of the following is TRUE:
7. A nurse experienced a needle stick injury on the geriatric floor of the hospital they work at 6 months prior.  The nurse and patient were tested for infectious diseases as part of the hospital's needle stick protocol, which were all negative.  Follow-up testing after three months was also negative.  The nurse is a regular blood donor, and is asking when she can donate blood again.  What is the best answer?
8. A 50 year old father recently immigrated from the United Kingdom to be closer to family and desires to donate blood.  He spent multiple short periods (<1 year) of time doing research in the Caribbean and Central America where malaria was endemic.  His most recent trip was 3 years ago.  His hemoglobin is 12.5 g/dL as the time of donation.  Which of the following is the best response to his request to donate blood?
9. If a potential donor has had sex with an individual with hepatitis C 6 months prior, what is the waiting time (if any) before the potential donor is eligible to donate blood?
10. What is the minimum weight to donate blood?
11. A potential blood donor volunteered as a physician at a mission hospital in Kenya for 3 months, and just recently has returned to the U.S. and wishes to donate blood.  Which of the following is the best answer:
12. A 40 year old male who was successfully treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma when he was 5 years old wants to donate blood as part of a recent blood drive.  What is the best answer?
13. What is the deferment requirement for blood donation in a potential donor who received Hepatitis B immune globulin for hepatitis exposure?
14. A potential blood donor worked as a physician for 7 years in Kenya, and just recently has returned to the U.S. permanently and wishes to donate blood.  Which of the following is the best answer:
15. If a potential donor has received human pituitary-derived growth hormone, how long are they deferred from blood donation?
16. What is the minimum interval between platelet (pheresis) donations?
17. What is the minimum hemoglobin value for a female to donate blood?
18. A 60 year old male experienced an acute myocardial infarction 6 months prior, which was treated with stent placement.  No other symptoms or morbidity was experienced.  This individual now wants to donate blood, and meets all other criteria for blood donation.  What is the best course of action?
19. A 50 year old female who was successfully treated for nodular sclerosing Hodgkin lymphoma when she was 20 years old wants to donate blood as part of a recent blood drive.  What is the best answer?
20. A long time blood donor, was involved in a car accident, which required using 4 units of uncross-matched blood in the emergency department.  The donor has now recovered from the accident after 6 months of rehabilitation and comes to donate blood at the local collection center.  How long should the donor be deferred (if any)?