New changes announced for blood donation processes in Canada
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LETHBRIDGE, AB – Canadian Blood Services (CBS) will be making a series of changes that it says will “reduce blood donor screening and rest time for repeat donors, resulting in a shorter donation time without impacting the safety of the donor.”
Effective September 29th, 2019, blood donors will only need to have their blood pressure measured before their first donations, donors will not be deferred for having a low body temperature, and first-time donors will not be deferred from donating for having an out-of range blood temperature.
CBS says recent studies and industry best practices show that these donor screening requirements are no longer necessary.
“New evidence indicates that measuring blood pressure doesn’t have an impact on the safety or wellness of blood donors,” reads a press release from CBS. “In fact, blood operators in countries such as Denmark and the United Kingdom do not measure donor blood pressure during screening.”
