Starting 1 July 2019, blood donors who visit Sanquin for their first, second, third, fourth or fifth donation are actively encouraged to drink water from a drinking cup designed by Eliane Gerrits just before their donation. Research has shown that this can ensure that this specific group of donors is less likely to feel nauseous or faint after the end of a donation.
Donors who come in to give blood for their fifth time or less will be offered an empty drinking cup at all reception locations at the counter. They are requested to fill this specially designed cup with water and to empty it prior to the donation. This reduces the chance that the donor will suffer from nausea or faint after the donation has ended. Clear outcome: drinking water in advance really helps! Of the donors who drank water beforehand, 23 percent had less nausea or faintness than in the other two groups.