First-time blood donors experience less venipuncture pain than anticipated.

Abstract

Background: Little is known about the perceived pain associated with blood donation. This study aimed to investigate expected and perceived pain among first-time blood donors.

Study design and methods: In this prospective observational study, 140 consecutive first-time blood donors (70 men and 70 women) were included. The donors were asked to grade the expected pain prior to their first whole blood donation and to grade the perceived pain after the procedure. The pain was graded using an 11-point Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). The association between experienced pain and drop-out as a blood donor at 2 years was also investigated.

Results: The mean age of first-time blood donors was 30.6 years, with no difference between men and women (31.2 vs. 30.0 years, p = .533). First-time blood donors significantly overestimated the venipuncture pain, with on average 1.16 units lower perceived (β = -1.16, t = -5.335, p < .001). Men reported both higher expected and perceived pain rates than women, but with no statistically significant interaction between pain discrepancy and sex (β = -0.41, t = -1.351, p = .179). In a multivariable logistic regression model, perceived pain was not associated with deregistration as a blood donor at 2 years.

Conclusions: First-time blood donors experience significantly less pain than expected while donating blood. This knowledge should be used to reduce anxiety in first-time blood donors and profiled in donor recruitment campaigns to possibly increase the number of available blood donors.