In Sweden, lowest acceptable haemoglobin levels in blood donators are 125g/L for women and 135g/L for men for a test sample taken in the beginning of the blood donation. Levels, which are 10g/L lower, are accepted if the sample is taken after the blood donation. Earlier studies show that the haemoglobin level decreases for a person that is lying down. The two aims of this study were to examine how much the haemoglobin levels change during blood donation and to examine if the photometrical instrument Pronto-7TM shows equivalent results to that of the established method Cell-Dyn Sapphire. In the study, 120 blood donors participated. Blood samples were taken in the beginning and in the end of the donation. Analyses by Pronto-7TM were done before and after the donation. The haemoglobin level decreased significantly during the blood donation. The difference was in mean value 5,9g/L according to Cell-Dyn Sapphire. The decrease was significantly less than 10g/L. The Pronto-7TM gave levels that were 1,6g/L higher than Cell-Dyn Sapphire in mean and the standard deviation was higher for Pronto-7TM than for Cell-Dyn Sapphire. In conclusion, the decrease of the haemoglobin levels was significantly less than the expected difference 10g/L. Pronto-7TM gives results that differs a little from the results of the established method.

The routines for blood testing were changed during 2010 at the blood bank in UAS. At first, the blood test was taken before the donation and now it is taken after donation. Along with this, the blood bank increased the lowest level for allowance of blood donation with 10 g/L both for men and women. The level is now on 125 g/L and 135 g/L for women respectively men. After the increase, it was noticed that the amount of blood donors were deferred due to low Hb levels in creased. A study made in year 2013, investigated how much the Hb-levels actually was changed during a blood donation. It showed that it was lowered in means by 6 g/L and not 10 g/L as previously thought.The aim of this study was to see if the sitting position of the blood donor during waiting time and the supine position during the time of blood donation may had any effect on the difference of the Hb-level during the blood donation.Data from the 120 blood donors in the earlier study was collected. Hb values, before and after blood donation, were taken from the earlier study and registered times were taken from the database Prosang. The waiting time, time of blood donation and the difference of Hb-levels were calculated and correlated with Spearmanns correlation coefficient.The results did not show any correlation between the times and the difference in Hb-levels. One of the reasons may be that the blood donor physiology differ and thus the change in Hb-level can vary.