Pattern of blood donor deferral in a tertiary hospital, South-south, Nigeria: A three-year study review

Abstract

Aims: Provision of safe and adequate supply of blood and blood products is a major public health issue globally. Safe blood is ensured through proper donor selection and testing of donated blood. However, a large number of apparently healthy donors are unable to donate blood for various reasons. To determine the proportions and reasons for donor deferral in University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) Blood Bank. Methods: A three-year retrospective review of records of blood donors from January 2009 to December 2012 was analyzed to determine the proportions and reasons for donor deferral in University of Uyo Teaching Hospital blood bank. Results: There were 5,636 donors of which 902 donors representing 16% of the entire donor population were deferred for various reasons. Large proportions (89.1%) of the donors were family replacement donors. Female donors constitute 16% of the entire donor population and were more frequently deferred than male donors 34.4% versus 12.4%, respectively. Transfusion transmissible infections (TTIs) positivity and anemia were the major reasons for permanent (50.4%) and temporary (39%) deferral of donors. The TTIs rates were higher among male donors than female donors. Conversely, more female donors were anemic (25.6%) compared to male (12.7%). Other reasons identified for donor deferral were underage (6.8%), underweight (2.4%), and hypertension (3.1%). Conclusion: A donor deferral rate of 16% in this study is similar to that reported in other studies. However, the reasons for deferral differ reflecting differences in donor selection criteria.