Authors
Demyanenko N.Yu., Shapovalov D.S., Maksim O.V., Polyakov A.S., Samedova N.A., Trofimov M.A.
Military Medical Academy named after S.M. Kirov, St. Petersburg
Abstract
Voluntary blood donation remains a necessary component of effective healthcare for many diseases and injuries. Blood component donors are at very high risk of developing iron deficiency. Standard blood donation results in a donor losing up to 250 mg of iron. For women of reproductive age, this amount is equivalent to half of all iron stores reduced by physiological blood loss.
Objective. To assess the impact of iron therapy on the physical and mental health of female donors with iron deficiency.
Materials and Methods. A prospective study was conducted at the clinic of the Department of Faculty Therapy. It included 30 female blood donors aged 20-56 years (Q2 = 41) with no health complaints and diagnosed latent iron deficiency (83.33% of cases, n = 25) or iron deficiency anemia (16.67% of cases, n = 5). Latent iron deficiency was diagnosed when the ferritin level dropped below 30 ng/ml, iron deficiency anemia – when the ferritin level dropped below 30 ng/ml and hemoglobin level dropped below 120 g/l. When one of the iron deficiency states was detected, blood donation was suspended and therapy with iron (II) sulfate orally at a dosage of 200 mg (as elemental iron) per day was prescribed. Before therapy, on the 30th day and on the 60th day of drug administration, quality of life was assessed using the validated Russian version of the SF-36 “Quality of Life Assessment” questionnaire, ferritin levels were determined, and the relationship between these indicators over time was assessed.
Results. Before the start of iron therapy, the median ferritin concentration in female blood donors with iron deficiency states was – 16.4 [13.25; 30] ng/ml. According to the SF-36 results, the median score for the physical component of health was 54.58 [47.3; 58.9] points, and for the mental component of health, 44.9 [39.8; 54.6]. After 30 days of therapy, an increase in ferritin to 43 [32.4; 57.77] ng/ml, p<0.05) and an improvement in quality of life in terms of physical (53.33 [48.32; 56.51], p<0.05) and mental health (50.21 [44.23; 55.22], p<0.05) were achieved. After 60 days of therapy, the median ferritin was 48 [38.9; 78.275], p<0.05), and there was a tendency toward improvement in quality of life indicators (physical component – 56.32 [51.24; 57.57], p<0.05; mental component – 51.53 [45.85; 55.87], p<0.05).
Conclusion. Laboratory improvement during therapy for iron deficiency conditions in female donors is accompanied by an improvement in quality of life indicators (as assessed using the SF-36 scale).
Keywords: iron deficiency anemia, latent iron deficiency, SF-36 quality-of-life questionnaire, blood donation, ferritin.
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