Changes in the way we calculate apheresis donor eligibility

We're making changes to our eligibility criteria based on donor safety. Our medical leadership is implementing these changes based on FDA recommendations. The changes are intended to ensure healthy, consistent levels of blood cells and blood proteins in our donors. Only platelet donors who give the maximum will be affected; in some cases that means we’ll have to reduce the number of visits a donor makes and/or the volume a donor gives.

What’s changing?
• New requirements limit an individual donor’s platelet donations to 24 donations within any 12-month period (for example, from last May to this May). This is slightly different from the previous recommendation of 24 donations within one calendar year (January 1 - December 31).
• We’re also more closely monitoring the overall amount of RBCs and plasma lost during any 12-month period, including from platelet donation. Even though a donor may be giving only platelets, there is still a volume of red blood cells and plasma included in the donation. We will closely monitor the donor’s specific donation history and limit total loss per year to safe levels.

Why the change?
These changes are focused on improving donor safety, and are recommended by our governing body, the FDA. Calculating eligibility this way is a more specific method of maintaining a steady, healthy blood volume for the donor. Please remember that patients still need your donations very much, but we may need to ask some donors to give a little less frequently for their own health. Stanford Blood Center’s number one priority is the safety of the donor and the patient.

• Read the related FDA guidance here.