Donor Blood Units Research Articles

Bacterial Contamination of Donor Blood Units in a Ghanaian Blood Bank: A Critical Concern for Transfusion Safety

Abstract Introduction/Objective Background: Blood transfusions, while life-saving, pose a significant risk to patient safety, with transfusion-associated bacterial sepsis emerging as a persistent and potentially fatal threat. The prevalence and severity of bacterial contamination in donor blood units necessitate regular surveillance to ensure safe and effective transfusion therapy. Aim This study aimed to identify and assess the susceptibility of bacterial isolates in whole blood donor units at the blood bank of Cape Coast Teaching Hospital in the Central Region of Ghana. Methods/Case Report Method(s): One hundred and three (103) units of stored whole blood units, declared safe for transfusion (testing negative for HIV I&II, HBsAg, HCV, and syphilis), were inoculated into Brain Heart Infusion Broth and incubated for 24 hours. The inoculated broths were then cultured on MacConkey agar (MAC), Chocolate agar (CHOC), and Blood agar. Gram-negative and Gram-positive isolates were identified using standard biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the disc diffusion method. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) Results: Of the 103 donor blood units tested, 33 (32.03%) were found to have bacterial isolates. Gram-positive organisms accounted for 67.14% of the isolates, including Coagulase negative Staphylococcus, Bacillus spp, and S. aureus. Gram-negative bacteria constituted 32.86% of the isolates, with Citrobacter freundii, Serratia marcescens, E. coli, and Providencia stuartii identified. Notably, 62.9% of the bacterial isolates were skin commensals, while 25.7% were of enteric origin and 11.4% were of nosocomial origin. Resistance to commonly used antibiotics varied among isolates, with Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus exhibiting resistance to amoxicillin (92.86%) and erythromycin (76.19%), while Citrobacter freundii showed resistance to levofloxacin (75.00%) and ofloxacin (75.00%). Conclusion Conclusion(s): The high incidence of bacterial contamination in donor blood units highlights the need for improved phlebotomy procedures and decontamination practices at blood banks in Ghana to reduce the risk of sepsis in transfusion recipients. Furthermore, this study provides valuable information regarding antibiotic resistance patterns in bacterial isolates, emphasizing the importance of antibiotic stewardship in Ghana. In conclusion, this study underscores the urgency of addressing bacterial contamination in donor blood units in Ghanaian blood banks to enhance transfusion safety.

The Role of Motivation and Organizational Commitment on Employee Performance

This study aims to examine the influence of motivation and organizational commitment on employee performance. The researcher conducted this study at the Blood Donor Unit of the Indonesian Red Cross in Surabaya City. The study population included all 132 permanent employees, with a sample size of 57 people. Researchers gathered data from existing literature and secondary sources. The researcher carried out the data analysis using the partial least squares (PLS) technique with Smart PLS software version 2.0. The test results revealed that motivation can enhance employee performance by addressing physiological needs, security needs, and appreciation needs. This occurs when employees receive recognition from superiors for their completed work, thereby fostering a sense of self-actualization and progress in task implementation and completion. Organizational commitment doesn't significantly influence employee performance, and we need to enhance the indicators of organizational commitment, which include affective aspects such as building relationships, continuous aspects like persevering and increasing participation, and normative aspects like confidence and pride.

Distribution of ABO and D antigen expression in Yogyakarta, Java Island: a pioneer large-scale study in Indonesia

ObjectiveHere, we sought to report ABO and D antigen distribution in blood donors from Yogyakarta, Java Island, Indonesia. Phenotype data (ABO/D) from donors who donated blood between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2023, at the Yogyakarta Blood Donor Unit were extracted from the blood donor registry, and phenotype frequency was calculated subsequently.ResultsIn the 245,307 blood donors collected over six years, ABO phenotype frequency: O (frequency: 38.5%) > B (29.4%) > A (24.1%) > AB (8.0%). The D-positive phenotype was far more common (99.5%) than the D-negative phenotype (0.5%). The phenotypic pattern globally is similar to previous reports in Southeast Asia. The D antigen distribution is similar to world distribution as the most common blood group. For the first time in Indonesia, this distribution of ABO and D phenotype is reported in a large-scale study. This work is a pioneer in the coordinated optimization of transfusion guidelines at the national level.

The Influence of Service Quality and Social Media on Blood Donation Interest in Indonesian Red Cross South Sulawesi Province

The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) is the only organization that has the authority to provide blood transfusion services. In 2021, the number of donors at the Indonesian Red Cross Blood Donation Unit, South Sulawesi Province, was 10,265 people, with 2,168 people taking blood from activities inside the building or around 21% and taking blood outside the building as many as 8,097 or around 79% (UDD PMI South Sulawesi Province, 2021) of the total population in South Sulawesi which reached 8,956,181 people, this proves that interest in blood donation is low (BPS, 2021). The demand for blood for blood transfusions is increasing. The minimum need for blood in Indonesia has reached around 5.1 million bags per year or 2% of the population, (WHO 2016). The Indonesian Red Cross Blood Donor Unit for South Sulawesi Province has not been able to meet the target of voluntary blood donations in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) requirement for voluntary donors of at least 2% of the population. This research aims to analyzing the influence of service quality and social media on interested in donating blood. The novelty of this research of Service Quality and Social Media on Interest in Blood Donation in the Indonesian Red Cross Blood Donation Unit, South Sulawesi Province in 2022. Using quantitative descriptive research using a questionnaire instrument with multiple linear regression method. The Service Quality and Social Media has a positive and significant effect on Interest in Blood Donation at UDD PMI South Sulawesi Province. Limitations of research is not measured from the many existing social media so it cannot be known which ones contributed the most of donors

The Relationship between the Level of Satisfaction of Blood Delivery Workers with Five Dimensions of Service Quality at UDD PMI Bekasi Regency in 2023

(1) Hospital Blood Bank (BDRS) is one of the health service facilities to meet the needs of blood transfusions of patients but does not rule out the possibility that blood stocks in BDRS are not available so they require assistance from the Indonesian Red Cross Blood Donor Unit (UDD PMI) in meeting the blood needs of patients. UDD PMI Bekasi Regency is carried out almost every time, regardless of the time and weather at that time. Blood collection is usually done by special officers from the hospital. This officer is what connects the chain of blood requests BDRS to UDD PMI Bekasi Regency, where later the officer will carry out blood retention and memory. (2) This research aims to determine the level of ability to use five dimensions quality services to have reliability, response, empathy, and blood transmission in UDD PMI District Bekasii. (3) Methodology This study by distributing questionnaires to 52 blood delivery officer respondents, data processing using data analysis of satisfaction index and ordinal logistic regression, namely simultaneous tests, partial tests, and model conformity tests (Hosmer-Lemeshow Goodness-of-fit Test). (4) The results of this study show that the level of satisfaction of blood delivery officers is based on five dimensions of satisfaction with UDD PMI district services. Bekasi has very satisfactory criteria.

Assessing the implications of using RDTS in donor blood screening for transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs): analysis of trans-in donor blood at a Tertiary Hospital in Ghana

BackgroundBlood transfusion is a critical hemotherapeutic intervention. However, the widespread utilization of Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) methods in screening potential donors for TTIs poses a serious public health challenge. We investigated the prevalence of TTIs in donor blood units that were transported from external health facilities (Trans-in blood) to Ho Teaching Hospital for critical care. MethodWe adopted a cross-sectional design to investigate 727 units of Trans-in blood at the Ho Teaching Hospital's blood bank between January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022. An apriori-developed data capture form was used to collect the data for this study. The chi-square test and Cramer's V or Phi were used to assess the association between variables of interest. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between TTIs and donor's blood groups whereas spatial visualization was employed to present the distribution of missed TTIs. ResultsThe overall prevalence of missed TTIs was 6.19 % (95 % CI: 4.66–8.18), comprising missed HIV, HBV, and Syphilis infection rates of 1.79 % (95 % CI: 1.72–1.86), 1.24 % (95 % CI: 1.17–1.31), and 3.16 % (95 % CI: 3.09–3.23), respectively. There was a higher rate of missed HIV infections in 2022 (2.04 %, 95 % CI: 1.04–3.97) compared to 2021 (1.49 %, 95 % CI: 0.64–3.45), and a decline in the rates of missed HBV and Syphilis infection within the period. The prevalence of TTI was highest among donors with ABO blood group 'O' (68.89 %, 95 % CI: 54.34–80.47) and Rh 'D' Positive blood group (95.56 %, 95 % CI: 85.17–98.77). Compared to donors with blood group O, non-O donors had 4.53 times the odds (95 % CI: 1.12–18.27; p-value=0.034) of missed HBV infection. ConclusionThe observed prevalence of missed TTIs highlights potential gaps in current screening practices, posing a significant public health concern. Efforts made to clamp down on the spread of these infections within the population may be impeded if the current trend of missed TTIs continues. Further studies on a larger scale with more comprehensive data are advised to better appreciate the public health implications of missed TTIs in Ghana.

Optimisation of global stem cell donor recruitment based on analysis of unsuccessful donor searches.

Despite over 41 million registered potential volunteer stem cell donors worldwide, many patients in need of a transplant do not find an HLA-matched unrelated donor or cord blood units, with the respective odds differing significantly between various populations. In this study, we analysed data of 2205 unsuccessful real-life donor searches sent to the DKMS Registry to identify populations in which further donor recruitment would be associated with particularly large patient benefits. For that purpose, we estimated haplotype frequencies of 67 donor populations at various sample sizes and entered them into two different mathematical models. These models assessed patient benefits from population-specific donor recruitment, operationalised by the number of originally unsuccessful searches that may become successful due to new donors. Consistently, across the different mathematical models and sample sizes, we obtained several countries from East and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, China, and the Philippines) and the population of Asians in the USA as countries/populations where donor recruitment activities would be particularly beneficial for patients. We also identified various countries in Southeast and Central Europe as possible target regions for donor recruitment with above-average patient benefits. The results presented are registry-specific in the sense that they were obtained by optimising unsuccessful searches that had been sent to the DKMS Registry. Therefore, it would be desirable to apply the presented methods to a global data set that includes all unsuccessful stem cell donor searches worldwide and uses population-specific haplotype frequencies based on all donors available in the WMDA Search & Match Service.

PENGARUH LAMA PENYIMPANAN DARAH TERHADAP JUMLAH TROMBOSIT PADA WHOLE BLOOD SEBELUM DAN SESUDAH DISIMPAN SELAMA 3 HARI DI UNITDONOR DARAH PMI KOTA MEDAN

Blood transfusion is a series of blood transfer process from a donor to a recipient. Blood is stored in the refrigerator with temperature 2-8 °c. In the blood storage process will experience changes in blood components such as platelet count. The researcher aims to determine the effect of long blood storage on platelet count on whole blood before and after being stored for three days at PMI Medan Blood Donor Unit. This research was done by descriptive method of Hematology Analyzer presented in table form. This research took place from 21-23 May 2018 at the Laboratory of Blood Transfusion Unit of Indonesian Red Cross Medan. Thenumber of samples used for the research is 10 samples. The result is the effect of storage duration on the decrease of platelet count where there is a decrease of platelet count in all donor blood samples stored for three days at PMI Medan Blood Donor Unit.Based on existing conclusions, then the suggestion that can be taken is every blood donor unit always do repeat examination for blood component level which will be transfused. For patients who will melaksanakna transfuse, you should use fresh blood. Blood should not be taken out frequently and blood refrigerator do not often open the lid. It is recommended for the same researchers in the future to increase the number of samples so that the results can be more accurate

Transfusion transmissible malaria: seroprevalence of malaria parasitemia in blood donors in Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, India

Background and Objectives: Malaria was the first ever reported case of transfusion transmitted infection (TTI). Transfusion transmissible malaria (TTM) can result in febrile transfusion reaction in the recipient. TTM can be fatal if the blood transfu- sion recipient is from vulnerable population i.e. pregnant women or young children. Therefore, the present study was done to estimate the seroprevalence of malaria parasitemia among blood donors in Garhwal region. Materials and Methods: Study subjects were healthy blood donors who had passed the screening criteria for blood do- nation. Donors with a history of malaria were temporarily deferred for 3 months following full recovery. Screening of the donated blood units for malaria parasite was done using immunochromatography based rapid diagnostic test. Thin smear examination was performed for malaria parasite species identification. Results: A total of 1984 blood donations were screened for TTI. The seroprevalence of HBV, HCV HIV and syphilis was 0.3% (n=6), 0.25% (n=5), 0% (n=0) and 0% (n=0) respectively. The seroprevalence of malaria parasite was 0.05% (n=1). Plasmodium vivax was identified upon thin smear examination. The donor reactive for malaria parasite was a replacement donor and gave no recent history of fever or any past history of malaria. Conclusion: Meticulous donor screening combined with rapid diagnostic tests for malaria parasite is the most practical strategy to prevent TTM in Garhwal region of India.

Prevalensi Penyakit Infeksi Menular Lewat Transfusi Darah (IMLTD) Darah Donor di UDD PMI Kota Surabaya Tahun 2018-2022

Transmission of infectious diseases is one of the risks in the blood transfusion process. The Blood Donor Unit (UDD), as a blood provider institution, must ensure that blood products distributed in the community are safe, especially from infectious diseases that can be transmitted through blood transfusion (TTI). UDD PMI Surabaya is a first-class UDD and CPOB-certified facility that serves blood needs not only in East Java but also as a reference for the Eastern Indonesia region. The location of UDD is in a big city, the number of donors is quite large, the coverage of the area of origin of donors and the target users of blood products is quite broad, and a complete screening test method are interesting factors to study regarding the prevalence of TTI disease. This study aims to determine the prevalence of infectious diseases transmitted through blood transfusion among blood donors in UDD PMI Surabaya in 2018–2022, as well as the sociodemographic characteristics of reactive donors. This research is a retrospective, descriptive study. Data for 2018–2022 comes from the in UDD PMI Surabaya database with total number of 639580 blood donors. The research results show that hepatitis B is a TTI disease with the highest prevalence compared to other TTI diseases. Most donors come from the 17–30 year age group who have reactive TTI test results, and this decreases with increasing age except for hepatitis B. Reactive donors are more dominated by women than men, except for HIV disease.

Effect of Storage Period on Platelet Count and Erythrocyte Morphology in Whole Blood Bags

Platelets and erythrocytes undergo transformation during storage, which may cause them to become inactive or non-functional. In transfusion medicine, the storage period of platelets and erythrocytes is very important because they change shape during storage, such as during echinocytosis, spherocytosis, and crenation. This study aims to determine the effect of storage period on platelet count and erythrocyte morphology in whole blood samples. Methods: This study used simple random sampling method to determine the effect of time on the occurrence of a disease. The study was conducted from January to April 2022 at the Semarang Regency Blood Donor Unit. This study focuses on the effect of time on the occurrence of a disease in whole blood samples. This study used automated sampling with hematology analyzer to analyze the data. Data collection was done with informed consent from donors and laboratory data from Blood Donor Unit Semarang Regency. The results showed a significant difference in changes in platelet count and erythrocyte morphology between day 0 and day 30 storage periods, with a p value of 0.014. Conclusions. There is a significant difference in changes in platelet count and erythrocyte morphology between day 0 and day 30 storage periods with a p value of 0.014. It is recommended that in the process of storing blood bags in the Blood Donor Unit, excessive shelf life is avoided to maintain blood quality.

Evaluation of new haematology analyser, XN-31, for malaria detection in blood donors: A single-centre study from India.

Malaria continues to be a significant public health concern in India, with several regions experiencing endemicity and sporadic outbreaks. The prevalence of malaria in blood donors, in India, varies between 0.02% and 0.07%. Common techniques to screen for malaria, in blood donors and patients, include microscopic smear examination and rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) based on antigen detection. The aim of this study was to evaluate a new fully automated analyser, XN-31, for malaria detection, as compared with current practice of using RDT. Cross-sectional analytical study was conducted to evaluate clinical sensitivity and specificity of new automated analyser XN-31 among blood donors' samples and clinical samples (patients with suspicion of malaria) from outpatient clinic collected over between July 2021 and October 2022. No additional sample was drawn from blood donor or patient. All blood donors and patients' samples were processed by malaria rapid diagnostic test, thick-smear microscopy (MIC) and the haematology analyser XN-31. Any donor blood unit incriminated for malaria was discarded. Laboratory diagnosis using MIC was considered the 'gold standard' in the present study. Clinical sensitivity and specificity of XN-31 were compared with the gold standard. Fife thousand and five donor samples and 82 diagnostic samples were evaluated. While the clinical sensitivity and specificity for donor samples were 100%, they were 96.3% and 100% for diagnostic samples. Automated haematology analysers represent a promising solution, as they can deliver speedy and sensitive donor malaria screening assessments. This method also has the potential to be used for pre-transfusion malaria screening along with haemoglobin estimation.

Molecular typing of Kell, Kidd, and Duffy antigens in direct antiglobulin test-positive autoimmune hemolytic anemia patients.

In autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) patients, conventional pretransfusion testing is difficult to interpret due to the presence of autoantibodies which may show panreactivity. Molecular phenotyping of red cell antigens could potentially be used to precisely match blood units, thereby reducing the need to perform intensive serologic laboratory testing, hence time delay in providing transfusion to such patients. The aim of this study is to perform the molecular typing for Kell, Kidd, and Duffy blood group antigens in direct antiglobulin test (DAT)-positive red blood cells of AIHA patients and provide corresponding antigen-matched blood for transfusion therapy. Blood samples from 50 normal blood donors and 30 DAT-positive AIHA patients were tested using standard serological techniques and polymerase chain reaction-based methods for Kell (K/k), Kidd (Jka/Jkb), and Duffy (Fya/Fyb) blood group systems. Five patients requiring blood transfusion were given donor blood units identical for Kell, Kidd, and Duffy antigens and followed up. Genotyping and phenotyping results were 100% concordant for normal blood donors. Serological phenotyping of minor red cell antigens showed varied degree of agglutination for AIHA patients. The molecular typing was able to detect the antigen frequency accurately in all samples. The results of genotyping were used to provide Kell-, Kidd-, and Duffy-matched blood for transfusion therapy to AIHA patients with no adverse reaction. Molecular blood group typing has proved immensely useful in the determination of actual antigen profile and hence in providing appropriate transfusion support in patients with AIHA reduced risk of transfusion reactions and alloimmunization.

Gambaran Penangguhan Pendonor di Unit Donor Darah PMI Kota Yogyakarta Tahun 2022

In blood donors,donor defferal are often encountered,namely donors who are temporarily or permanently refused to donate blood. The reasons for refusing to donate blood need to be studied further to find out the causative factors.This study aims to determine the causes of the temporary defferal of donors at the PMI Yogyakarta Blood Donor Unit in 2022.This research is a quantitative descriptive study,with a retrospective approach.The population of this study is all donors defferal at the PMI Blood Donor Unit in Yogyakarta City in 2022.with a total sampling technique obtained a sample of 7.677 deffered donors.Of the 42,685 donors,7,677(17,9%)deffered donors,while 35,008(82,1%)passed. Donor deffered based on body weight found <50 kg in 76 people(1,0%),low blood pressure in 1,260 people(16,4%),high blood pressure in 1,247 people (16,2%),low hemoglobin level in 2,380 people(31,0%),high hemoglobin level in 1,802 people(23,5%),vaccination in 139 people (1,8%),flu in 55 people(0,7%),cough in 407 people(5,3%),38 people(0,5%)had travel history,273 people(3,6%)took medication,no tattoos,piercings,and infectious diseases were found.The majority of donor deffered at Blood Donation Unit PMI Yogyakarta City in 2022 are mostly due to low hemoglobin levels(31,0%).The conclusion of this study is that the majority of donor defferal at the PMI Blood Donor Unit in Yogyakarta City in 2022 are mostly due to low hemoglobin levels.Suggestions for the Blood Donor Unit to be able to educate the public about blood donation and efforts to maintain health for donors can pass donor selection.

Description of Fulfillment of Demand for Blood Products at the PMI Yogyakarta City Blood Donor Unit in 2022

Description of Fulfillment of Demand for Blood Products at the PMI Yogyakarta City Blood Donor Unit in 2022

Produksi Komponen Darah Packed-Red Cell (PRC), Liquid Plasma (LP), Thombocytes Concentrates (TC) dan Fresh-Frozen-Plasma (FFP) di UDD PMI Kabupaten Bojonegoro

The processing of blood components is an act of separating the components of donor blood through a process by taking into account the quality and safety of blood component products. Its process produce various type of blood component, such as Packed Red Cell, Liquid Plasma, Thrombocytes Concentrate and Fresh Frozen Plasma. The quantity of each blood production depends on the mount of demant from hospital to threat the patient for transfusion. Indonesia Red Cross especially in Blood Donor Unit of each region have a important duty to collect and process the whole blood component as much as it needed. This type of research is a descriptive study with a cross sectional approach. The population used was the production of PRC, LP, TC and FFP Â at UDD PMI Bojonegoro from June to July 2022 as many as 2124 kolf. The sampling technique used purposive sampling. Data analysis using univariate analysis which is presented in the form of a frequency distribution table and ghraphic for daily production. Production of blood components as much as 2124 kolf, Production of PRC as 984 kolf (46%), LP as 904 kolf (43%0, TC as 200 kolf (9%), and FFP as 36 kolf (2%). The highest blood component production is PRC, followed by LP, TC and FFP, respectfully. Â

BLOOD STORAGE ANALYSIS OF HEMOGLOBIN ERYTHROCYTE AND PLATELET LEVELS IN WHOLE BLOOD COMPONENTS 0 DAYS 7 DAYS UP TO 15 DAYS AND 30 DAYS AT THE INDONESIAN RED CROSS (PMI) BLOOD DONATION UNIT (UUD) SEMARANG REGENCY

During the storage process, blood will experience changes in blood components such as hemoglobin levels. The longer blood is stored, the more red blood cells will be destroyed because blood that is stored for too long will experience a shift in the oxygen dissociation curve to the left. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of blood storage on the levels of platelets, erythrocytes and hemoglobin in the whole blood component of blood for 0 days, 7 days, 15 days and 30 days at the blood donor unit (UUD) of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Semarang Regency. The type of research used is descriptive research, where this research aims to describe or provide an overview of the effect of storing blood in whole blood components on changes in platelet, erythrocyte and hemoglobin levels in PMI Semarang Regency. The population and research samples are donors in PMI Semarang Regency. Data analysis: Data processing is carried out by: Editing, namely selecting and correcting hemoglobin level data collected from the measurement results during each experiment. Tabulating is the presentation of research data in the form of tables of Hemoglobin reading results or descriptive or analytical analysis results. Processing is the activity of processing data so that it can be analyzed by entering data on hemoglobin levels. Cleaning or data checking is checking the hemoglobin level data that has been entered again to see if there are errors or not

Listeria monocytogenes Transmission from Donated Blood to Platelet Transfusion Recipient, Italy.

We report Listeria monocytogenes infection in a patient in Italy who was transfused with pooled platelet concentrate. Genomic analysis revealed that L. monocytogenes isolates from the donor blood unit, the transfused platelets, and the patient's blood culture were genetically closely related, confirming transfusion transmission. Additional surveillance and secondary bacterial screening could improve transfusion safety.

Effect of shelf life on IL6 and CD62P thrombosite consentrate levels (Experimental Study at UDD PMI Semarang City)

Thrombocyte concentrate is a blood product that is labile and easily damaged by its blood cells. Storage time is expected to cause changes in several conditions so that it will affect the quality of TC which can affect levels CD62P and levels interleukins 6 (IL-6). The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of the length of storage of thrombocyte concentrate (TC) on IL-6 levels and CD62P levels in UDD PMI Semarang City. This research is research experimental, where this study analyzes how changes in levels IL-6 and CD62P levels on TC based on length of storage at PMI Semarang Blood Donor Unit. The research design was divided into groups on day 0, day 1, day 3, day 5 and day 7. Population in this study were 5 TC bags produced and stored at the PMI Blood Donor Unit in Semarang City. The research sample consisted of 5 TC bags using purposive sampling technique. IL-6 levels were analyzed using the ELISA method. Examination of CD62P Levels use flow cytometer device. IL-6 levels were tested differently using repeated ANOVA and continued with the LSD Post Hoc test to show differences between groups (P<0.05). For CD62P, the data were analyzed using the Friedman test and followed by the Wilcoxon test to show differences between groups (P<0.05). The research results show that the lowest levels of IL-6 and CD62P in TC were found on day 0 and the highest levels of IL-6 and CD62P in TC were found on day 7.

Systematic review of prevalence and risk factors of transfusion transmissible infections among blood donors, and blood safety improvements in Southern Africa.

Blood and blood products are listed as one of the essential medicines by the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition to inadequate supply, most sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) nations fail to meet their blood needs because many donated blood units are discarded because they are contaminated with transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs). We sought to estimate the prevalence of TTIs, identify the risk factors for TTIs among blood donors, and identify the efforts and interventions that have been made to improve blood safety in Southern African nations, particularly the nations of the South African Development Community (SADC). We investigated the prevalence and risk factors for TTIs, blood safety interventions, and blood quality improvement in the SADC region from major PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and HINARI databases from 1 January 2011 to 31 April 2021. All investigations followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). In meta-analysis, we estimated the pooled TTIs prevalence and summarised the same using forest plots. A total of 180 articles published from the SSA region were identified covering our three targeted themes: TTI prevalence, risk factors for TTIs, and blood safety improvements. Of these 180 articles, only 27 (15%) focused on the SADC region. The overall pooled TTI prevalence estimate was 2.0% (95% CI: 1.0-3.0) and hepatitis B was the most prevalent TTI in the region (prevalence = 3.0; 95% CI: 2.0-5.0). The prevalence of HIV, HCV, and syphilis was 2.0% (95% CI: 1.0-4.0), 1.0% (95% CI: 0.0-2.0), and 2.0% (95% CI: 0.0-8.0), respectively. In general, replacement donors and first-time donors were more likely to be infected with TTIs than repeat donors. Twelve articles explored blood safety research in the region; however, they vary greatly highlighting the need for consistent and more comprehensive research. Few publications were identified that were from the SADC region, indicating lack of research or resources towards improving both quantity and quality of blood donation. TTI prevalence remains one of the highest in the world and blood safety recommendations vary across the region. More effort should be directed towards developing a cohesive regional blood transfusion policy and effective blood monitoring and evaluation strategies.