Iron Deficiency in Blood Donors - An Update

Iron Deficiency in Blood Donors - An Update is organized by Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies (AABB) and will be held from Sept 11, 2019 To Jul 07, 2022. This CME Conference has been approved for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™.

Intended Audience:
CEOs, Directors, Donor Recruitment Staff, Hospitals, Hospital Blood Banks, Laboratory Staff, Managers/Supervisors, Medical Directors, Nurses, Physicians, Research Scientists, Resident/Fellow, Scientists, Students (MD, MT, SBB), Technologists

Program Description
Studies show that iron deficiency is common in blood donors and certain donor groups are at higher risk, such as young donors, female donors, frequent donors, and donors with borderline low hemoglobin values. To address this, AABB has issued updated recommendations to blood collection establishments regarding strategies to limit and prevent iron deficiency in blood donors, especially in those subpopulations at increased risk. Strategies include increasing inter-donation intervals, measuring ferritin and providing iron supplementation. This eCast will review studies evaluating iron deficiency in blood donors and describe the experience at blood centers employing different mitigation strategies, including ferritin testing and providing vouchers for iron supplements.

Learning Objectives
After participating in this educational activity, participants should be able to:
• Describe recent scientific studies that have increased our knowledge about iron deficiency in blood donors and strategies to limit and prevent iron deficiency in donors.
• Review strategies that Blood Centers have implemented to mitigate iron loss in blood donors.
• Explain challenges Blood Centers face in implementing strategies to limit and prevent iron deficiency in donors.