Analyzing the Causes of Blood Donor Deferrals and Characteristics of Deffered Individuals in Kurdistan Province, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Donor selection prior to blood donation is one of the most important steps in ensuring the safety of blood products. This study aims to evaluate donor deferral rates, causes of deferral, and characteristics of deferred in Kurdistan province, west of Iran. Method: This is a cross-sectional study carried out in the Kurdistan blood transfusion organization, from 2010 to 2015. All donors were screened before donation by detailed interview and physical examination. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) were used for donor selection and deferral. Results: The deferral rate was 14.55%. The top seven deferral reasons were the use of certain medications (15.6%), abnormal blood pressure (9.03%), polycythemia (8.5%), risky behaviors (6.3%), previous donation in last 3 months (5.9%), history of repeatedly reactive test (5.21%) and anemia (4.85%). The overall proportion of deferrals was higher among those less than 35 years old (P < 0.001), female (P < 0.001), first-time donors (P < 0.001), single (P < 0.001) and less than 12 years schooling (P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study showed a different pattern of donor deferrals in compared to other studies. The main reason for deferral was being on medication that may be due to lack of sufficient blood donation eligibility criteria in Kurdistan province. Therefore, public education about the importance of blood donation and donor’s conditions can be effective in reducing the number of deferral.