Vox Sanguinis (2007) 93, 89–90 LETTER 89 © 2007 The Author(s) Journal compilation © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. DOI: 10.1111/j.1423-0410.2007.00914.x Blackwell Publishing Ltd Oxford, UK VOX Vox Sanguinis 0042-9007 © 2007 The Author(s) Journal compilation © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd., Vox Sanguinis 91 Letter Letter Letter LETTER Preoperative autologous blood donation in Spain (1994 –2004) J. A. García-Erce, 1 J. Cuenca, 2 S. R. Leal-Noval 3 & M. Muñoz 4 1 Department of Haematology, University Hospital ‘Miguel Servet’, Zaragoza, Spain 2 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Hospital ‘Miguel Servet’, Zaragoza, Spain 3 Critical Care Department, University Hospital ‘Virgen del Rocio’, Seville, Spain 4 Transfusion Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain Allogeneic blood transfusion (ABT) is an increasingly scarce and expensive resource. In addition, concerns about adverse effects of ABT have prompted the search for blood conservation measures, such as preoperative autologous blood donation (PABD), in order to diminish patient’s exposure to ABT-related risks [1]. An update on PABD use showed no increase in Europe from 1997 to 2000 [2]. As this report did no include data from Spain, we would like to present our official data on population, allogeneic blood donation (ABD), ABT, and PABD from 1994 to 2004 (www.ine.es, www.msc.es, www.donantesdesangre.net) (Table 1). ABD increased by 355 310 units (28·1%) along this time period (adjusted ABD rate = 35·5 units per 1000 inhab- itants; one of the lowest ABD rates in Europe). ABT increased by 370 547 units (36·3%) during the same time period. When expressed as percentage of ABD, ABT steadily increased from 82·6% in 1994 to 87·4% in 2004 (the gap between donation and transfusion was reduced by 5·8%). PABD increased from 15 123 units in 1994 to 24 390 units in 2004, with fluctuations between years (Table 1). The commonest area of application of PABD was orthopaedic surgery procedures where 80% of the collected PABD units were actually transfused [3]. When expressed as percentage of ABD, there was a discrete rise in PABD between 1994 and 1997. Despite its efficacy in avoiding ABT exposure [4], it felt thereafter, as in the European report. However, it must be borne in mind that ‘ABT can never be risk free, reflecting as it does the current state of health of society, just a new illnesses and infections will influence the overall health picture, their impact on blood safety cannot be predicted’ [1]. Thus, in accordance with Brecher and Good- nough, ‘should another risk of transfusion-transmitted disease be identified, ... , or if blood collections fail to keep pace with the demand for blood, we would expect a resurgence in interest in autologous blood’ [5]. Table 1 Allogeneic and autologous blood collection in Spain, 1994–2004 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Population (n) 40 229 598 40 460 055 39 669 394 39 525 400 39 852 651 40 202 160 40 499 791 41 116 842 41 837 894 42 717 064 43 197 684 Allogeneic collected Total units 1 254 790 1 299 340 1 351 110 1 389 260 1 428 650 1 449 580 1 500 560 1 503 870 1 567 470 1 597 410 1 608 100 Units per 1000 inhabitants 31·2 32·1 34·0 35·1 35·8 36·1 37·1 36·5 37·5 37·4 37·2 Allogeneic used Units 1 036 308 1 117 627 1 147 945 1 178 271 1 168 099 1 198 963 1 254 831 1 231 131 1 343 955 1 412 753 1 406 855 Percentage a 82·6 86·0 85·0 84·8 81·8 82·5 83·4 81·9 85·7 88·0 87·4 Autologous collected Units 15 123 20 797 22 030 27 949 28 487 26 171 24 893 22 451 23 824 27 451 24 390 Percentage a 1·20 1·60 1·63 2·01 1·99 1·80 1·65 1·52 1·52 1·72 1·52 a As percentage of allogeneic blood collection.