Abstract
Introduction: Blood transfusion continues to be a possible source of pathogens in transfused patients. The pattern of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTI) varies between regions. Knowledge of prevalence of TTIs is essential to monitor safety of blood transfusion by ensuring better practices of collection and processing of blood components. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of TTI in blood donors in a tertiary care hospital in central India. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cross sectional study was performed from 2012 to 2017 in a tertiary care government hospital in central region of India. The study analyzes all voluntary and replacement blood donations received through the hospital in its blood bank and blood donation camps organized by the hospital. Results:A total of 54,831 units of blood was collected over a period of 6 years. Prevalence of TTI in the blood donors was 1.45%. Prevalence of seroprevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), syphilis and malaria were 0.31 %, 0.75%, 0.065%, 0.22% and 0.1% respectively. Among all the potential donors, the most common TTI prevalence was that of Hepatitis B followed by HIV and syphilis. Conclusion:Public awareness, careful donor selection,vigilant screening and adoption of newer techniques for inactivation of pathogens are needed to ensure safety of blood products and their transfusion.The public outreach programs such as blood donation camps could be used as a way of spreading awareness to improve the safety and efficacy of a blood donation program.
Highlights
Blood transfusion continues to be a possible source of pathogens in transfused patients
A wide variety of organisms, including bacteria, viruses, prions, and parasites can be transmitted through blood transfusions.Majority of post transfusion diseases are caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus(HCV), Treponema pallidum and malaria parasites
All the samples were screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), venereal disease research laboratory test (VDRL) and malaria
Summary
Blood transfusion continues to be a possible source of pathogens in transfused patients. In order to achieve the desired zero risk of transmitted infection, many levels of safety practices are adopted including, donor selection criteria, donor deferral registries, laboratory testing and pathogen inactivation of the collected blood. Various challenges making it difficult to eliminate TTIs are immunological window period of early infectivity when the immunologic tests are unreactive, high cost of screening rarer pathogens, immunological variant of pathogens, non-seroconverting chronic or immune-silent carriers, inadvertent laboratory testing errors and cost of training and maintaining well equipped blood donation center. Post transfusion hepatitis B and C is a major problem in India because of low viral load and mutant strains undetectable by routine ELISA [1,2,3]
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