All adverse events in autologous blood donors with cardiac disease are not necessarily caused by blood donation.

BACKGROUND

Autologous blood donation before elective cardiac surgery has become a standard of care at many institutions. However, the safety of autologous blood donations by patients with cardiac disease is subject to controversy.

CASE REPORTS

Two life-threatening cardiac arrests and one fatal myocardial infarction that occurred in three patients who were scheduled to donate blood for autologous use in elective cardiac surgery are reported. All three patients met the institution's selection criteria for autologous blood donors, and all of them had given written informed consent for their participation in the autologous blood donation program. One of the two cardiac arrests and the myocardial infarction occurred in the patients prior to any blood donations, and the other cardiac arrest occurred 7 days after the patient donated blood uneventfully.

CONCLUSION

Life-threatening and fatal adverse events may occur during the donation period in autologous blood donors with cardiac disease. Not all adverse events are necessarily caused by blood donation.