The results of a new study published in the most recent Journal of the American Medical Association may have bearings on future blood donation guidelines. By looking at data from American Red Cross blood centers researchers noticed that donors aged 16-17 years were 14 times more likely to have complications, such as loss of consciousness and bruising, after donating blood. Furthermore, 16 year old donors with even minor complications were 60% less likely to return to donate within 12 months. As the number of blood donors continue on a downward trend, limiting blood donations to older individuals may be a way of ensuring higher return donor numbers in the long run. Full story.
May 21, 2008
Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.