Deferral Pattern Research Articles

Analysis of Blood Donor Deferral Pattern at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Chennai: A Cross-Sectional Retrospective Study.

Background Blood is essential for saving lives, particularly in emergencies. However, many patients, especially in developing countries face delays in accessing safe blood due to inadequate infrastructure, insufficient blood banks, poorly equipped laboratories, unreliable transportation systems, low donation rates driven by cultural beliefs, fear, and misconceptions, poor blood donor recruitment and retention, economic constraints, and a general lack of awareness and education about blood donation. Ensuring safe transfusions requires advanced technology and promoting healthy, voluntary donations. Donor selection is crucial for safety, preventing adverse reactions through proper criteria and infection screenings. Donor deferrals can discourage donors and hinder recruitment, so identifying and addressing deferral causes is vital. Blood centers must balance quality and quantity by using thorough donor assessments. Efforts should focus on both recruiting new donors and retaining deferred ones to ensure a stable blood supply. Aim The aim of the study is to evaluate and analyze the patterns and causes of blood donor deferrals in a tertiary care hospital. The objectives are to determine the incidence and reasons for blood donor deferrals. Materials and methods A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted for 36 months fromMay 2021 to May 2024.A simple random sampling method was used to select the blood donors who reported for donation. Data was obtained from records maintained by the blood center. Descriptive statistics were utilized to summarize the demographics of the blood donors, including deferral rates among males and females, and the frequency of temporary and permanent deferrals. A Chi-square test was done to find the association between gender and deferral rates in blood donation. This analysis aimed to explore gender variations and underlying health status differences between male and female donors, as these can influence deferral rates. Results From May 2021 to May 2024, 17,082 people registered to donate blood at the Blood Centre, Department of Transfusion Medicine. Out of these, 1,000 donors, or 5.85%, were deferred. The majority of donors were males 16,638, with only 444 females. Most deferrals (76.4%) were temporary, often due to low hemoglobin levels or recent alcohol intake. Permanent deferrals (23.6%) were usually due to uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes. A significant association was found between gender and type of deferral among participants (p < 0.05). Conclusion This cross-sectional retrospective study on blood donor deferral patterns in a tertiary care hospital highlights key reasons such as low hemoglobin, recent alcohol intake, hypertension, and diabetes. To improve donor eligibility and retention, targeted strategies including enhanced education and community engagement are essential. These efforts will strengthen blood transfusion services and support critical healthcare needs effectively.

THE EVALUATION OF PATTERN OF WHOLE BLOOD DONOR DEFERRALS IN A TERTIARY CARE CENTER OF NORTH INDIA

Objectives: Donor recruitment is critical to the supply of safe and adequate blood/blood components to meet patient’s need; the first and most crucial step to provide safe blood is proper selection of blood donors. Blood donor selection criteria are designed to ensure the donor as well as the recipient’s health. The objective of this study is to analyze the various causes of donor deferral, study their frequency pattern and to suggest changes to retain and retrieve donors in future. Methods: A retrospective study on analysis of deferred donors of whole blood was conducted in a blood center at tertiary care hospital in North India. The study included blood donors deferred from January 2022 to December 2022. Results: A total of 27,121 donors were registered for whole blood donation and 4534 (16.71%) were deferred. Female deferral (41.67%) was more as compared to male deferral (15.11%). Temporary deferrals (n=4238 [93.47%]) were significantly higher than permanent deferrals (n=296 [6.5%]). The most common reason for temporary deferral was anemia (n = 940 [20.7%]) while that for permanent deferral was jaundice (n=179 [3.94%]). Conclusion: Analyzing the causes, frequency and deferral pattern of blood donors will help to guide the recruitment and retention efforts to maintain a healthy donor pool at large.

Frequency of Blood Donor Deferrals in Urban Population among Random Voluntary Donors and Evaluation of Gross Differences in Various Study Groups

Introduction: The most important aspect of the blood donor selection criteria is the selection of Healthy donors for donating blood to safeguard the health of the donor as well as the patient. Based on the selection criteria donors are considered either fit or unfit (deferred) to donate blood. Aim: Primary aim of the study is to analyze and evaluate the various causes of donor deferrals in comparison to different regional studies with special emphasis on temporary donor deferrals, in order to retain them as potential future donors. Materials &amp; Methods: A retrospective study was conducted with available data of all donors registered between May 2022 and Dec 2023. Donor deferral data was analyzed for various causes of deferral patterns. Results: A total of 2003 donors registered for voluntary blood donation out of which 244(80.79%) were accepted for donation and 302(15.07 %.) were deferred for various reasons. Total number of temporary deferrals were 244(80.79%) and permanent deferrals were 58(19.20%). Discussion: The overall deferral rate in this study was 15.48%. Low Hemoglobin (36.09%) was the commonest cause for temporary deferral and the commonest age group which had maximum deferrals was 18---25 yrs. Hypertension was the main cause of permanent deferral. Conclusion: The incidence of donor deferral can be reduced by furnishing the appropriate information related to blood donations and educating the general public and blood donors through awareness programs. Follow up of the donors must be encouraged to remove the negative feeling in deferred donors to make them potential future donors.

Effect of COVID-19 Vaccine on Blood Donor Deferral Patterns in PIMS, Islamabad

Objective: To evaluate the effect of COVID-19 vaccine on overall donor deferral patterns in PIMS, Islamabad. Study Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study. Settings: This study was carried out at Blood Bank of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad Pakistan. Duration: January 2019 to December 2021. Methods: The participants for donation were included in this cross-sectional study on the basis of certain criteria by taking their previous medical history physical examination, COVID-19 vaccination status, and transfusion-transmissible infections (TTI) screening results. All those donors who don’t meet these criteria were deferred. On the basis of causes, deferrals were categorized into temporary or permanent. Results: This study included a total of 84,669 potential donors during a period of three years (January 2019- December 2021), out of which 82,072 donors met inclusion criteria and donated blood during this period whereas 2597 donors were deferred. The overall deferred rate was 3.2% (n=2,717), out of which 13% (n=342) were deferred permanently and87% (n=2375) were deferred temporarily. The leading cause of permanent deferral includes hepatitis C (n=142), hepatitis B (n=106) and cardiac diseases (n=94). On the other hand, leading causes of temporary deferrals include COVID-19 vaccination, being under weight, underage, low HB, short gap, fatty veins and fever. Conclusion: The identification of deferrals is an important step for safe transfusions and helps to formulate criteria for efficient donor selection. The current study indicates a 3.2% deferral rate for blood donors and demands preventive steps for both donor and patient safety against HBV, HCV and AIDS.

Granulocytapheresis Donor Deferrals Pattern at a Pediatric Tertiary Care Centre in Northern India.

Granulocyte transfusion is used to manage refractory infections in patients with severe neutropenia. One of the main challenges in providing granulocyte products is the availability of a suitable donor. This study was designed to analyse deferral patterns to appropriately create a pool of granulocyte donors. A retrospective analysis was done to study the deferral pattern among donors who presented to our pediatric tertiary care hospital during the last year (August 2022-August 2023) for granulocyte apheresis. The donor selection criteria are like any apheresis donor in addition to having appropriate veins in both the arms and donor providing consent for mobilization (Dexamethasone). A total of 181 donors with a mean age of 31.3 ± 6.7years (males 93.9%) were screened for granulocytapheresis. 61 donors (33.7%; 51 Male 10 Female) were deferred. Common reasons for deferral were poor venous access (34.4%), low platelets (24.5%), the difference in blood group between donor and recipient (19.6%), low hemoglobin (1.6%) and transfusion-transmitted infection (all HBV) reactivity (6.5%). Our study highlights a higher rate of donors deferred for granulocyte donations when compared to whole blood donations. Analysing the deferral pattern can help us identify appropriate donor groups to motivate and recruit for granulocyte donations.

Analysis of Blood Donor Deferral Pattern during COVID-19 Pandemic at a Tertiary Care Hospital-based Blood Centre, Jammu and Kashmir, India: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Blood donor deferral is vital for ensuring safe blood transfusion. However, with the unfolding Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, significant changes were made in donor screening and blood donation criteria, resulting in a shift in the pattern of donor deferrals. Aim: To estimate the blood donor deferral patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Transfusion Medicine at SMHS Hospital/GMC Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The study spanned two years, from March 2020 to February 2022. All blood donors were screened in accordance with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), National Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) control organisation (National blood transfusion services) 2017 guidelines. The data was analysed in Microsoft Excel, considering factors such as age, gender, type of deferral, and reasons for deferral. Results: Deferred blood donors were most common in the age group of 18-33 years. During the study period, a total of 19,895 blood donors (19493 males and 402 females) were registered for blood donation. Out of these, 3441 donors (17.30%) were deferred, with a male donor deferral rate of 3258/19493 (16.71%) and a female donor deferral rate of 183/402 (45.52%). Temporary blood donor deferrals accounted for 3272 (95.09%) cases, while permanent deferrals were 169 (4.91%). The most common cause of deferral was low haemoglobin, accounting for 991/3441 (28.80%) cases, followed by deferrals due to reasons attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic (786/3441, 22.84%) and hypertension (653/3441, 18.98%). Conclusion: The study observed a substantial increase in the total donor deferral rate, as well as a change in the donor deferral pattern during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Plateletpheresis donor deferral patterns at a tertiary care hospital in North India: A need for rethink of haemoglobin cutoff.

The donor deferral criteria for blood or apheresis donations are established for two main reasons: (i) to ensure the safety of the blood donor (non-maleficence); (ii) to obtain safe blood of standard quality that has therapeutic benefit for the patient (beneficence). This study was planned to assess the various causes and patterns of plateletpheresis donor deferral in our hospital and to subsequently assess whether any evidence based changes can be done in the current plateletpheresis donor deferral criteria in India to maximize the platelet donor pool without compromising donor safety. The present study was conducted from May 2021 till June 2022 in the department of transfusion medicine of a tertiary care hospital in North India. The first part of the study was conducted from May 2021 till March 2022 to assess the various causes of donor deferral by analysing the plateletpheresis donor deferral data during the corresponding period. The second part of the study was conducted from April 2022 till June 2022, to assess: (i) average decrease in haemoglobin after plateletpheresis procedure; (ii) red blood cell loss during plateletpheresis procedure; (iii) to determine whether any correlation exists between donor haemoglobin and platelet yield. During the study period, a total of 260 donors were screened for plateletpheresis, out of which 221 (85%) donors were accepted and 39 (15%) donors were deferred for various reasons. Out of the 39 deferred donors, 33 (84.6%) were temporary deferrals, while 6 (15.4%) were permanent deferrals. Low haemoglobin (Hb<12.5g/dl) was a cause of deferral in 12.8% (n=5) of the deferred donors. 192 (73.9%) out of the 260 donors were replacement donors. The calculated mean decrease in haemoglobin as a result of plateletpheresis procedure was 0.4g/dl. No correlation was seen between donor pre-donation haemoglobin and platelet yield (p=0.86, r=0.06, R2=0.003). The calculated mean red cell loss as a result of plateletpheresis procedure was 28ml. Low haemoglobin (<12.5g/dl) is a significant cause of temporary plateletpheresis donor deferral in India. In view of the advancement in plateletpheresis technology, which has resulted in minimal red cell loss with the current generation apheresis devices, haemoglobin cutoff of 12.5g/dl needs to be reconsidered. Perhaps, after performing a multi-centric trial, a consenscus can be reached for revision of haemoglobin cutoff for plateletpheresis donations.

REASONS OF DONOR DEFERRAL FOR A SINGLE DONOR PLATELETPHERESIS IN A PUBLIC SECTOR BLOOD TRANSFUSION CENTRE OF LAHORE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Background and Objective: Plateletpheresis is a process by which platelets are extracted from the donor. Donor selection is critical since donors are the sole supply of blood available to satisfy demand. The goal of this study is to investigate the causes behind plateletpheresis donor deferral in order to ensure safe blood donation. Materials and Methods: The research was carried out at the department of Haematology and Transfusion Medicine University of Child Health Sciences, The Children Hospital Lahore. 50 plateletpheresis donors who voluntarily came for donation were considered for the procedure as per guidelines and departmental standard operating procedure. The details of the procedure of plateletpheresis were explained to each donor. Donor questionnaire was filled including brief history, general physical examination, Haematological parameters such as haemoglobin and the donor blood screening was done to be considered fit for procedure. The reasons for deferral of donors were noted after all work up was done. Informed consent was taken before the procedure. Plateletpheresis was done using COM.TEC Cell Separator instrument. Results: In this study 50 donors were included. Out of 50 donors 34 were approved for procedure and 16 were deferred due to different temporary and permanent reasons. The age of the donors were in between 18 to 50 years. Major reason for temporary deferral was poor venous access (n=7, 14%) followed by the low haemoglobin value (n=4, 8%). Other reasons for temporary deferral were history of medication (n=3, 6%), low platelet count (n=4,8%), history of blood transfusion (n=1, 2%), history of vaccination n=2, 4%), leucocytosis (n=1, 2%), underweight (n=4, 8%), fever (n=1, 2%), refusal after questionnaire (n=1, 2%), seropositive for malaria and VDRL (n=3, 6%), high blood pressure (n=1, 2%), and anxiety (n=1, 2%). Permanent reasons for deferral were seropositive for HbsAg (n=2, 4%), seropositive for HCV (n=4, 8%) and tattoo (n=1, 2%). Conclusion: This study found a pattern of donor deferral in single donor platelet apheresis that was our experience in single centre. In conclusion during the selection of donors, Transfusion services should be very careful related to donor safety measures and these causes of deferral should be kept in mind.

BLOOD DONOR DEFERRAL PATTERN AS A KEY TOOL FOR SAFE BLOOD TRANSFUSION PRACTICE: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY FROM NORTH EAST INDIA.

Background: Safe blood transfusion practice starts with meticulous selection of blood donors. Recruitment and retention of healthy safe donor is crucial to maintain adequate supply of blood units available for transfusion. The present study was undertaken with the aim to analyze the rate as well as the causes of pre-donation deferral and blood units discarded following screening test for Transfusion Transmitted Infection (TTI). Material and methods: This retrospective hospital-based study was conducted in the Blood Centre, Jorhat Medical College and Hospital, Jorhat, Assam over a period of one year i.e., from 1st October, 2021 to 30th September, 2022. All donors who attended the Blood Centre as well as outdoor voluntary blood donation camps were included in the study. Each and every blood donor was screened as per the guidelines of Drugs and Cosmetics (Second Amendment) Rules, 2020. Transfusion Transmitted Infection (TTI) screening tests were done on the collected blood units and those found to be positive were discarded. The donor records were reviewed and analyzed according to sex, donor type (voluntary or replacement) and reason for deferral. Results: Out of 17030 prospective donors, 14372 (84.39%) donors were accepted for blood donation while 2658 (15.61%) donors were deferred. The deferral rate was higher in females i.e., 35.63% (88 out of 247) compared to males i.e., 15.31% (2570 out of 16783). Deferral percentage of voluntary donors was 19% (2563 out of 13485) and that of replacement donor was 2.68% (95 out of 3545). The rate of temporary and permanent deferral was 99.17% (2636 out of 2658) and 0.83% (22 out of 2658) respectively. The most common cause of temporary deferral was found to be low hemoglobin (41.81%) whereas in case of permanent deferral high risk behaviour (50%) was found to be the leading cause. 3.21% (462 out of 14372) blood units were discarded following screening tests for Transfusion Transmitted Infection (TTI). Hepatitis C was the most common cause of blood units discarded. Conclusion:Asystematic and well organised approach to selection of blood donors is the mainstay of safe blood transfusion practice. Analysis of donor deferral pattern guides us to recruit safe healthy donors and to maintain an adequate pool of blood units available for transfusion

Pre-donation Deferral Pattern of Allogeneic Blood Donors: An Analysis from a Developing Country

Background: Pre-donation donor screening is a crucial step in ensuring the safety of both blood donors and recipients. Donors who do not meet predetermined criteria are temporarily or permanently deferred. Aim: To assess the patterns and prevalence of deferrals at our institution. Study design: Prospective study Place and duration of study: Karachi Tertiary Care Hospital, Karachi from 1st January 2014 to 31st December 2015. Methodology: Thirty six thousand, nine hundred and fifty four potential donors presented themselves, 33853 were selected and 3101 were excluded. Blood donors' demographic information was stored in the blood bank's database, and secondary measures such as the type of deferral (permanent/temporary) and reasons for deferral (donor or patient safety) were evaluated. Results: The majority 2663(7.20%) of donors were deferred due to complete blood count, followed by medical history 264(0.71%) and examination findings 174(0.47%). The majority of donors (96%) were temporarily deferred, while only 3.9% were permanently deferred. Low haemoglobin counts were the most frequent cause of treatment delays (78.8%), followed by hypertension (3.64%) and a history of medication usage (1.32%). Donor safety accounted for the majority of donor rejections (91.5%), while recipient safety accounted for 8.41%. Conclusion: The majority of donors were deferred due to abnormality in the profile of blood count mainly low hemoglobin level. The low hemoglobin counts were the most frequent cause of treatment delays, followed by hypertension and a history of medication usage. Only small numbers of donors were permanently deferred. Keywords: Blood donor, Deferral, Permanent, Temporary

Analysis of Donor Deferral in a Tertiary Health Institution in South-Western Nigeria

Aim: This study aimed at evaluating the deferral pattern among blood donors, in order to draw out lessons that will help canvass for a strengthened policy framework and encourage better outcomes in voluntary blood donation.&#x0D; Study Design: This was a retrospective study.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: All the data were sourced from the central database of donors, as recorded by the Haematology Department of Babcock University Teaching Hospital Ilisan-Remo, Ogun state, Nigeria. The data used spanned through a period of 5 years, from 2017 to 2021.&#x0D; Methodology: A total of 7,362 voluntary and non-remunerated blood donors were included in this study. Their records were accessed and used for the study. Data were analysed using SPSS version 25. The level of statistical significance was set at P &lt; 0.05.&#x0D; Results: In this study, half (50.2%) of the entire population of volunteers were between the ages of 18 and 30 years while only 3.7% of them were between 51 and 60 years of age. There were more male volunteers for blood donation compared to the females who only represented 10.8% of the population. 61% of the voluntary donors were accepted for blood donation while 39% were regarded as unfit and hence, deferred. The 3 main reasons for deferral in this study were inadequate hemoglobin (54.7% of deferral cases), unmatched blood group (30.9%) and transfusion transmissible infections (14.4%). Age and gender had a statistically significant (P &lt; 0.05) relationship with the pattern of deferral of the volunteers.&#x0D; Conclusion: The high deferral rate observed in this study may reveal an urgent need for a community-based intervention and targeted efforts by necessary agencies to help improve the general health status of possible future voluntary blood donors.

Impact of COVID-19 on blood donor deferral patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective analysis.

Blood donor deferral is an essential tool for blood safety. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected blood transfusion services all over the world. But its impact on donor deferral rate and the pattern is unclear in light of the new donor deferral policy due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This retrospective study was divided into pre-COVID and COVID (15 March 2019-14 March 2021). All the deferred donors were divided into six different categories: (1) medical causes, (2) surgical causes, (3) drugs and vaccination, (4) risk of transfusion-transmitted diseases, (5) miscellaneous causes and (6) flu-like symptoms. In addition, COVID-related deferrals were also incorporated. All these above categories along with the donor demography were analysed by SPSS software version 25. The donor deferral rate was 17.03% and 12.74% during the pre-COVID and COVID periods, respectively. During the pre-COVID period, Category 3 deferrals and during COVID period, Category 6 deferrals were significantly higher. A reversal in pattern with increased blood pressure (40.2% vs. 24.04%) over-riding low haemoglobin (34.77% vs. 55.5%) was noted in the Category 1 deferral during the COVID period. Category 1 deferral was more in middle-aged adults as compared to young and old adults (p< 0.05). Among middle-aged adults, deferral due to flu-like symptoms was also significantly more during the COVID period (p< 0.05). COVID-19 significantly affected the donor pool and changed the pattern of donor deferral. Understanding donor deferral patterns may help in identifying targeted donor populations and planning donor recruitment strategies in future pandemic crises.

Blood Donors and Their Deferral Pattern in a University Hospital, Nepal

Background and Objectives: Blood transfusion is a life-saving procedure and the selection of healthy blood donors is essential steps for safe blood transfusion. Proper selection of blood donors is needed for the safety of both blood donors and recipients. The aim of this study was to assess the demographic profile of blood donors and determine the frequency and reason of donor deferral in a university hospital of Nepal. Methods: This hospital-based retrospective study was carried out in the Blood Bank Unit of the tertiary care center of Nepal. Data were collected from the record book maintained in the blood bank from January 2016 to December 2020. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Office Excel 2010 for descriptive analysis. Results: A total of 3697 individuals came for blood donation during the study period; among them, 2802 (75.8%) were male and 895 (24.2%) were female. Total number of voluntary donation were 2175 (58.8%), while 1522 (41.2%) were family/replacement donation. Among all donors, 351 (9.5%) donors were deferred for different reasons. The most common cause of donor deferral was hypertension (15.0%), followed by medication (14.0%), while anemia (32.8%) was the leading cause of deferral in female donors. Out of total deferral cases, 92.6% of donors were temporary deferral, while 7.4% were deferred permanently. Conclusion: Most deferrals were temporarily due to hypertension, medication, and anemia. Awareness about these causes of deferral can increases the donor pool.

Study of Blood Donor Deferral in a Tertiary Care Hospital, Northern India

Introduction: Blood donation programme is vital to any transfusion service. Deferral is a painful and sad experience both for the donor and the centre. Thus, every blood centre has to pivot between admissible quality and desired quantity. Aim: To find out incidence and pattern of donor deferral in a tertiary care hospital, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of four years from January 2016 to December 2019 in a blood bank, Department of Pathology in a tertiary care hospital of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India. Details of donors who were deferred either temporarily or permanently during the study period were collected from the deferral files. Data analysis was done by calculating the percentage for every cause of donor deferral. Results: Out of the 29,663 donors who registered for blood donation during the study period, 2,626 donors were deferred due to several reasons. Temporary reasons (2592) were like anaemia, medications, alcohol, allergy, low-weight, fever, tattooing and permanent causes (34) were like hypertension, cardiac disorders, diabetes, asthma and thyroid disorders. Anaemia was the most common cause for deferral and total deferral rate came out to be 8.85%. Conclusion: Studying and analysing the profile of blood donors helps to identify categories of population which could be targeted to increase pool of voluntary blood donors. Education, motivation and treatment of these deferred donors due to anaemia or other temporary causes is an important aspect in blood banking, so that these donors may be recruited again.

Plateletpheresis donor deferral pattern: A retrospective 4-year data analysis at tertiary care center in India.

Increasing demand of single donor platelet requires blood banks to expand the donor pool. A reassessment of donor deferral criteria for plateletpheresis is required to ensure that this increasing demand is met without compromising on product quality and donor safety. (1) To list the various causes of SDP donor deferral. (2) To discuss various approaches to minimize it. Data of plateletpheresis donor deferral were collected from records retrospectively over a period of 4 years from January 2017 to December 2020. All statistical tests were performed using IBM SPSS software for Windows version 20. Categorical variables were presented as proportions, while continuous variables were presented as mean with standard deviation, mean calculated P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Out of the 7478 donors screened for plateletpheresis procedure, 3232 (43.2%) were deferred among which 3089 (42.5%) were male and 142 (63.1%) were female donors. Majority (96.5%) of deferral were temporary. These included low platelet count (47.4%) followed by poor venous access (22.4%) and low hemoglobin (Hb) (7.2%). Among the donors deferred for low Hb, 24.7% (58 out of 234) had Hb between 12 and 12.4 g%. Similarly, among donor deferred for low platelet count, 12% (184 out of 1532) had platelet count between 140 and 149 × 103/μl. There is potential for increasing the number of eligible plateletpheresis donors if the present donor selection criteria were relaxed to a minimum Hb of 12 g/dl and minimum platelet count of 140 × 103/μl.

Profile of Blood Donor Deferrals in a Tertiary Care Centre-Our Institutional Experience

Background: It is the prime duty of transfusion services to provide safe, adequate and timely need of blood and the blood products. Understanding the reasons for donor deferral can help in planning more efficient recruitment strategies and educate and motivate temporarily deferred donors in order to maintain a safe and adequate supply of blood products.&#x0D; Aims of the Study: To evaluate and analyze the blood donor deferral pattern in a tertiary care hospital blood bank and to review its influence on blood safety.&#x0D; Methodology: This retrospective study was conducted in the blood bank, CHRI from the year January 2015 to December 2018. Data like demographic data, clinical history, physical examination, haematological examination, stored in the blood bank was retrived. The donors will be deferred based on standard WHO guidelines. The collected deferral data was analyzed using SPSS software 2011version 20.&#x0D; Results: During the study period there were 7010 registered blood donors. The deferral rate was 5.19%. Among the donor deferrals, females were more commonly deferred ie 31.66%. The deferral rate among voluntary and replacement donors are 4.71% and 11.62% respectively. The rate of permanent deferral (17.86%) was less compared to temporary deferral (82.14%). Among temporary deferral anaemia is the most common cause (27.75%). Seropositive for Hepatitis B is the most common cause for permenant deferral (52.30%).&#x0D; Conclusion: In our study temporary deferral is higher this necessities the need of education, motivation of these donors for future donation to maintain a healthy and safe donor pool.

ANALYSIS OF BLOOD DONOR DEFERRAL PATTERN AT TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

BACKGROUND: Safety of blood and blood products is a major problem all over the world screening for the markers of infectious diseases alone is an incomplete solution. One of the most important steps in improving the safety is donor selection donors who do not meet selection criteria are deferred either temporarily or permanently in view of both donor and recipient safety. AIMS: To analyse blood donor deferral pattern in our tertiary care blood center. Methods: Data of blood donor deferral were evaluated retrospectively from January 2020 to April 2021 in Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion. Donor selection and deferral was done as per national guidelines. RESULTS: Out of 13042 blood donors came to donate in our blood bank 7.71% (1006) were deferred Out of 1006, 67.29% (677) were temporarily deferred whereas 32.70% (329) were permanently deferred. The deferral rate for females and males was 0.96 % (126) and 6.74% (880) respectively. The most common cause for deferral was due to low hemoglobin 25.70% (174) and followed by hypertensive donors 50.76% (167).Other causes for deferral was donor on medications 19.94%(135), failed phlebotomy 9.89%(66), low blood pressure 7.09%(48),tattoo 6.49% (44),skin lesions at phlebotomy site 5.31% (36), Major surgery 4.13%(28), vaccination 3.98% (27), cough and cold 3.54%(24), under weight 3.39% (23), Minor surgery 1.47% (10), Menstruation 1.47% (10), Typhoid 1.18% (08), underage 1.18% (08), High Risk Behavior 2.43% (08), Dengue 0.73%, Asthma 0.30%, Malaria 0.44%, Diarrhea 0.29%, smoking 0.14%, Abortion 0.14%. CONCLUSIONS: In this study temporary deferral was most common. Females were deferred more common than male. Most common deferral reason is low hemoglobin. Temporary differed donors require proper follow up and management so as not to lead diminished supply of future donors.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among potential convalescent plasma donors and analysis of their deferral pattern: Experience from tertiary care hospital in western India.

Background and objectivesSeroprevalence estimation of COVID-19 is quite necessary for controlling the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Seroprevalence rate in recovered COVID-19 patients help us to identify individual with anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and its protective nature. The objective of present study was to evaluate seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among potential convalescent plasma donors and analysis of their deferral reasons.Materials and methodsA total 400 potential convalescent plasma donors were enrolled over five-month period for this prospective study. Inclusion criteria were lab confirmed COVID-19 recovered patients and 14 days of symptoms free period. All prospective plasmapheresis donors were tested for IgG SARS-CoV-2 antibody through chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay, CBC, serum protein, blood grouping along with other required test for normal blood donation as per Drugs & Cosmetics Act. After pre donation testing and medical examination if donor was found to be ineligible for plasmapheresis was deferred. Seroprevalence rate was calculated by positive IgG antibody test results among the potential plasma donors.ResultsSeroprevalence rate was 87% for IgG SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in prospective convalescent plasma donors (recovered COVID-19 patients). There was no significant difference in seroprevalence rate between different sub-groups with respect to gender, age, blood groups, Rh factor, mode of treatment, day of Ab testing and repeat plasma donation. Most common reason for their deferral was absent IgG SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (13%) followed by absenteeism of eligible screen donors (6.7%), low Hb (1.7%) and poor veins for plasmapheresis (1.7%). Till five-month study period none of the plasmapheresis develop symptoms of reinfection with COVID-19.ConclusionIn all, 13% recovered patients did not develop IgG antibodies after SARS-CoV-2 infection. SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies persist for quite some time and are protective against reinfection. More long-term serology studies are needed to understand better antibody response kinetics and duration of persistence of IgG antibodies.

Donor Selection and Deferral Pattern in Convalescent Plasma Donor in Plasmapheresis Unit of a Tertiary Care Hospital

Context: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The management plan is supportive care with oxygen supplementation and mechanical ventilation. US FDA approved convalescent plasma (CP) for COVID-19 for clinical trials and as an emergency investigational new drug. Although numerous trials are currently investigating the safety and efficacy of CP in COVID-19 patients, there is a paucity of ongoing and published studies evaluating the CP donors' side. This retrospective study reports the CP donors' selection and deferrals. Aim: To evaluate and analyze the donor deferral pattern and its causes among CP donors in a tertiary care hospital blood bank apheresis unit. Settings and Design: Hospital-based retrospective analysis. Subjects and Methods: Donors aged 18–65 years who had recovered from COVID-19 at least 4 weeks previously coming for plasma donation were retrospectively analyzed from July 25, 2020 to January 24, 2021 for a period of 6 months at blood bank apheresis unit, Assam Medical College and Hospital. Results: A total of 396 potential plasma donors were screened during the study period. The donor deferral rate was 39.1%. The permanent deferral was 36.8%, and the temporary deferral was 63.2%. The maximum number of donors deferred because of low antibody (18.7%) followed by low hemoglobin (14.8%). Associated comorbidities, low platelet count, repeat reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction positivity, transfusion transmitted infection reactivity, intake of medicines, infections, vaccination, and underweight were other causes identified. Conclusion: The pattern of donor deferral is an important tool for blood safety and also provides key areas to focus on a demographic region or policy formulation for donor selection as well as to ensure donor safety.

Demographical Pattern of Blood Donors and Pre-Donation Deferral Causes in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

BackgroundUnderstanding the demographic features of blood donors is important for identifying the donor structure and guiding the recruitment and retention strategies of donors. This study was aimed to determine the demographic characteristics of blood donors, the types of donation drives, and the frequency and reasons for pre-donation deferral in our population.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included data analysis of all prospective blood donors presenting themselves for donation at the Blood Bank of the King Fahad Military Medical Complex, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia between January 2010 and December 2018. Eligibility of blood donation was assessed using a standardized history questionnaire, physical examination, hemoglobin estimation, pulse rate, blood pressure, and temperature. The questionnaire included the demographic features of the donor such as age, gender, and the reason for donation and other specific risk factors that potentially affect the safety of the donor or the recipient. Data analyzed using the analysis of SPSS version 20 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) were used to calculate the unadjusted odds ratios (OR) and the respective 95% confidence interval for the association between the various demographic parameters.ResultsA total of 28,189 potential donations were recorded during the study period; of these, 77.4% were family replacements with females accounting for only 1.8% of all donations. Most of the donors were Saudi nationals (92.1%) of whom donors between 18 and 34 years old constituted 87.9%, while those over 40 years old represented only 7.9% of the donations. Pre-donation temporary deferral occurred in 3300 (11.7%) of all potential donation attempts. The most common causes being the recent intake of medication (24.4%) followed by low hemoglobin (14.8%), low or high blood pressure (14.6%), low or high pulse rate (13.6%), and low weight (11.6%).ConclusionA profile of blood donors consisting mainly of young male citizens who mostly donated for family replacement was detected. Deferral rate was found to be average when compared to other countries; the causes being similar to those detected in other developed countries. Simple descriptive statistics has shown no marked difference was noted over the 9 years of the study in neither the profile of blood donors nor the cause for temporary deferral of prospective blood donors.