Ethical issues in transfusion medicine: the safety of blood and hematopoietic stem cell donation.

Blood and hematopoietic stem cell donors present special challenges to the transfusion medicine and hematology services. The autologous donor has a personal, vested interest in the donation, but the allogeneic donor is usually donating for altruistic reasons. Our ethical obligation and duty to donors requires that the donor be fully informed of any risks and benefits associated with the donation process. This duty is even more imperative as donors are increasingly exposed to a variety of medications to optimize the production and collection of hematopoietic cells. Transfusion medicine professionals must work to safeguard the health of the donor. The establishment of a national donor registry to collect and analyze short-term and long-term safety data is recommended.