Signs and symptoms:
(1) feeling faint and/or fainting (transient loss of consciousness)
(2) dizziness
(3) weakness
(4) facial flushing
(5) visual disturbances (tunnel vision, blurred vision, other)
(6) difficulty hearing
(7) lightheadedness
(8) pulse rapid or pounding
(9) sweating (diaphoresis)
(10) rapid or difficulty breathing
(11) nausea or upset stomach
where:
• These reactions assume no other underlying disease (myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, etc.) However, these would be rare in a person who passes the donor screening process.
• Actually fainting would strike me as severe "feeling faint". A prolonged loss of consciousness would be extreme. Similarly vomiting would be severe nausea.
|
Reaction Intensity
|
Points
|
|
not at all, none, absent
|
0
|
|
minimal
|
1
|
|
mild
|
2
|
|
moderate
|
3
|
|
severe
|
4
|
|
extreme
|
5
|
total blood donor reaction inventory =
= SUM(intensity points for all 11 signs and symptoms)
Interpretation:
• minimum total score: 0
• maximum: 55
• The higher the score the more severe the reaction.
• A donor with a high score is unlikely to donate again. If the person does try to donate, then there is a risk of significant apprehension.
Performance:
• One extreme reaction may be more significant than 5 minimal reactions. One modification might be to adapt the weightings so they are exponential rather than linear.
