Adverse Reactions to Allogeneic Whole Blood Donation by 16- and 17-Year-Olds.

Context: Donations by minors (16- and 17-year-olds) now account for approximately 8% of the whole blood collected by the American Red Cross, but young age and first-time donation status are known to be independent risk factors for donation-related complications., Objective: To evaluate adverse reactions to allogeneic whole blood donation by 16- and 17-year-olds compared with older donors in American Red Cross blood centers., Design, Setting, and Participants: Prospective documentation of adverse events among 16- and 17-year-old donors using standardized collection protocols, definitions, and reporting methods in 2006. Data were from 9 American Red Cross blood centers that routinely collect from 16- and 17-year-olds, a population that provides 80% of its donations at high school blood drives., Main Outcome Measures: Rate of systemic (syncopal-type) and phlebotomy-related donor complications per 10 000 collections., Results: In 2006, 9 American Red Cross regions collected 145 678 whole blood donations from 16- and 17-year-olds, 113 307 from 18- and 19-year-olds, and 1 517 460 from donors aged 20 years or older. Complications were recorded in 15 632 (10.7%), 9359 (8.3%), and 42 987 (2.8%) donations in each corresponding age group. In a multivariate logistic regression model, young age had the strongest association with complications (odds ratio [OR], 3.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.52-3.69; P