Which statement correctly describes presurgical autologous donation requirements?

• A. Donor hemoglobin must be at least 11.0 g/dL.
• B. Donor blood must be ABO identical to recipient.
• C. Donor blood can be drawn immediately before surgery.
• D. Donor infectious disease screening is optional.

Answer: (A)

Before a patient donates blood for their own use, safety of the donor is the top priority. The most important requirement is that the patient has enough hemoglobin to tolerate the withdrawal of blood without becoming severely anemic or compromising oxygen delivery. A commonly used minimum is 11.0 g/dL, which helps ensure they won’t experience significant symptoms or impair recovery after surgery. Blood for autologous use is collected well in advance of the operation to allow time for the patient’s red cell mass to recover, so drawing blood immediately before surgery is not appropriate. Infectious disease screening is mandatory for any donated blood to protect the patient, even when it’s their own blood. While ABO testing is performed, the transfused unit is inherently compatible with the patient since they are the donor, so ABO identity is not the defining requirement in the presurgical preparation.