Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27943371›Full record

ArticleTransfusion2017

A large national study of ferritin testing in Canadian blood donors.

Mindy Goldman, Samra Uzicanin, Lori Osmond, Vito Scalia, Sheila F O'Brien

Abstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Transfusion, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
25citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
6.1field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

25 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 61 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  7. Article
  8. Limitations of the Male/Female Binary for Studying the Influences of Sex- and Gender-Related Factors on Health.American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council · 2025
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  18. Sex, Gender and Health: Mapping the Landscape of Research and Policy.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
    Article
  19. Article
  20. Oral iron and blood donation: cui bono?Blood transfusion = Trasfusione del sangue · 2020
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Mindy GoldmanCanadian Blood Services, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Samra UzicaninCanadian Blood Services, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Lori OsmondCanadian Blood Services, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Vito ScaliaCanadian Blood Services, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Sheila F O'BrienCanadian Blood Services, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Canadian Blood Services · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWe assessed risk groups for iron deficiency and the feasibility and efficacy of ferritin testing in a large blood center. STUDY DESIGN AND

methodsDonors were informed of possible testing in the predonation pamphlet. Plasma ferritin was measured on retention samples (n = 12,595) from representative clinics. Low-ferritin donors (<25 µg/L) were sent a letter and information sheet and not called for 6 months. Ferritin testing was repeated on 25% of donors; donor return rate and frequency were monitored.

resultsLow-ferritin donors represented 2.9% of first-time and reactivated (no donation in past 12 months) male donors, 32.2% of first-time and reactivated female donors, 41.6% of repeat male donors, and 65.1% of repeat female donors. A mean of 11.7 months after index donation, the return rate was 76% for normal and 58% for low-ferritin donors; returning low-ferritin donors had made approximately one fewer donation. Ferritin increased by 16.3 and 12.1 µg/L in male and female low-ferritin donors and decreased by 17 µg/L in male and female normal-ferritin donors.

conclusionThe minimum hemoglobin level will be increased to 130 g/L for male donors and the minimum interdonation interval changed to 84 days (four donations yearly) for female donors based on iron deficiency risk groups. Large-scale ferritin testing was feasible. Donors informed of low-ferritin results had a lower return rate, donated less often, and had an increase in ferritin on return, approximately 1 year after initial testing, compared to donors with normal ferritin results.

Indexed as

Blood DonorsDonor SelectionAdolescentAdultCanadaFemaleFerritinsHumansMaleMiddle AgedSex FactorsTime FactorsFerritins

Identifiers

PMID27943371
OpenAlexW2560222816

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.