Preoperative autologous blood collection before bone marrow harvests in haploidentical related donors: is it justified?

BACKGROUND: With the increasing safety of allogeneic blood supply and declining need for transfusion due to patient blood management, the practice of preoperative autologous donation (PAD) continues to decline. The practice gained popularity during the 1980s and 1990s with the emergence of transfusion-transmitted human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C. At the peak of this public concern, the National Marrow Donor Program recommended that marrow donors have 1 to 3 autologous units of blood collected before their marrow harvest to minimize the likelihood of allogeneic transfusion. After three decades, the practice remains prevalent in marrow donors. We aimed to study the efficacy of PAD in healthy marrow donors. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: PADs performed before marrow harvest in healthy donors at our center between January 2013 and July 2015 were reviewed. The utilization of autologous units and decrease in hemoglobin levels due to PAD and marrow harvest were studied. Similar practices were assessed in the rest of the United States through a brief survey. RESULTS: Of a total of 262 autologous units collected from 136 donors, 25.2% were wasted. Ninety-nine percent of the marrow donors received at least 1 unit of blood irrespective of the need. PAD contributed to preoperative anemia, exposing three donors to allogeneic blood transfusion. The survey results showed a mixed response with some institutions continuing and others not practicing PAD. CONCLUSION: PADs are not justified in healthy marrow donors as they expose them to a risk of preoperative anemia and hence a greater risk of transfusion.