A STUDY ON DONOR APHERESIS OUTSIDE BLOOD CENTER AND DONATION ROOM -At Facilities Other Than Blood Center and Donation Room, and Using Blood Collection Vehicles

The initial report of the New Blood Program Advisory Committee stated that the quantity of donated blood needed to meet domestic requirements for manufacturing blood coagulation factor preparations is currently estimated to be 480, 000 liters. We collected blood components (each 400ml PPP or PRP) from 1, 552 donors during 59 sessions at facilities other than blood center between May 10, 1988 and March 31, 1990 in the area of the Kitaosaka Red Cross Blood Center. We also were able to obtain blood components (each 400ml PPP) from 368 donors during another 28 collection campaign sessions, using blood collection vehicles, between February 16, 1989 and March 31, 1990 in the area of the Kitaosaka Red Cross Blood Center. Donor apheresis outside blood center is conducted at companies, health centers, city offices, churches or in blood collection vehicles. Therefore, in comparison to blood center or donation room, space is limited in many cases and the auditory and visual atmosphere is generally less pleasing. In addition, we need to work toward converting former whole blood donors into donors from whom we can collect blood components. However, in order to promote blood donation campaigns, we must expand donor apheresis outside the blood center program. Comparing donor apheresis in collection vehicles with that in facilities other than blood center and donation room, although the level of donor relaxation and nurse mainpulation suffers in the vehicles, the moving of equipment, shipping and moving the collection site are much easier. These experiences have led to the following conclusion regarding future blood component collection campaigns. In addition to the use of blood collection vehicles to collect whole blood, a more effective procedure would be to obtain blood components from donors at as many facilities as possible outside blood center and donation room. In conducting blood component collection campaigns at facilities other than blood center and donation room, we should strive to improve the environment (TV, VTR, music, bodysonics, magazines etc.) and devote further study to better equipment transport (special purpose vehicles), even though this setup is already better than blood collection vehicles. It is also important to improve the blood collection environment (TV, VTR, bodysonics, magazines etc.) in blood collection vehicles.