Voluntary Blood Donors Research Articles

The clinical demand and supply of blood in India: A National level estimation study

Estimating the clinical demand for blood and components arising in a health facility is crucial to ensure timely availability of blood. This study aims to estimate disease-specific clinical demand, supply and utilization of whole blood and components in India. We conducted a national level cross-sectional study in five randomly selected states from five regions of the country. We included 251 public and private facilities representing primary, secondary and tertiary care facilities. We collected annual disease-specific demand, supply and utilization of blood and components using a structured tool. We estimated the national demand by extrapolating the study data (demand and beds) to the total number of estimated beds in the country. According to the study, the total clinical demand of 251 health facilities with 51,562 beds was 474,627 whole blood units. Based on this, the clinical demand for India was estimated at 14·6 million whole blood units (95 CI: 14·59-14·62), an equivalent of 36·3 donations per 1,000 eligible populations, which will address whole blood and component requirement. The medicine specialty accounted for 6·0 million units (41·2%), followed by surgery 4·1 million (27·9%), obstetrics and gynecology 3·3 million (22·4%) and pediatrics 1·2 million (8·5%) units. The supply was 93% which is equivalent to 33·8 donations against the demand. The study indicated a demand and supply gap of 2.5 donations per 1,000 eligible persons which is around one million units. The gap emphasises the need for sustained and concerted efforts from all stakeholders and for increasing the awareness about repeat voluntary non-remunerated blood donation (VNRBD); optimizing the availability of blood components through efficient blood component separation units; promoting modern principles of patient blood management and strengthening capacities of human resources in the blood transfusion system in India.

SEROPREVALENCE OF TRANSFUSION TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS IN BLOOD DONORS AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH ABO AND RH BLOOD GROUPS.

Background: A blood screening is a procedure that is mandatory in health care services to reduce the incidence of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTI). Numerous studies have found a correlation between ABO blood groups and a various infectious and non-infectious diseases. Some blood groups may even act as receptors and ligand for various infectious agent. Cross sectional observationalMaterials and Methods: study, conducted over a period of one & half years at Blood Centre and Component Lab, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Memorial Medical College, Amravati. Total 14515 healthy donors were collected and their blood samples were subjected to blood grouping and TTI testing. AmongResults: all the donors, B Positive was the most common blood group accounting for 4730 (32.59%) donors. Overall seropositivity for TTI was 236 (1.62%) cases. Seropositivity among replacement blood donors (16.25%) was more compared to voluntary blood donors (1.26%). Hepatitis B infection was most common (1.14%) infection among all TTIs. Maximum seropositivity was observed in A Positive blood group (1.99%) followed by B Positive (1.88%) blood group. Even though no signicant association betweenABO and Rh blood groups was observed with TTIs, Hepatitis BConclusion: was the most common infection found in blood donors. This high prevalence points towards the need for a comprehensive public health approach to eliminate TTI.

Prevalence of reflux-related symptoms in South-Hungarian blood donor volunteers.

Background/AimPopulation-based studies on the prevalence of GERD-related symptoms are still missing in Eastern Europe, therefore, we aimed to obtain such data in South-East Hungarian subjects.MethodsA total of 2,002 apparently healthy blood donor volunteers were consecutively enrolled and completed detailed questionnaires related to general factors, demographic data, socioeconomical factors, and the presence and frequency of typical and atypical GERD-related symptoms.ResultsAmong 2,002 study participants, 56.5% were completely asymptomatic. The prevalence of typical GERD symptoms appearing at least monthly or weekly was 16.5% and 6.8%, respectively. Two-thirds (209/330) of the patients experienced at least monthly occurring typical GERD symptoms and also had associated atypical symptoms and this was even more pronounced when comparing subgroups with higher symptom frequencies. Significant correlations were found between monthly GERD-related complaints and height, body mass index (BMI), coffee consumption, and smoking. Positive family history was another significant factor in all the symptom-frequency categories. GERD-related symptom frequency showed a linear association with sex (R2 = 0.75, P = 0.0049). Typical and atypical GERD symptoms were significantly more common in those with chronic diseases than those without. Heartburn was observed in 12.5% and 4.4% (P<0.05) and acid regurgitation was seen in 6.9% and 1.8% (P<0.05), respectively.ConclusionThe prevalence of GERD-related symptoms in South Hungary was significantly lower than that in Western countries and was closer to Eastern values. The presence of mild, non-exclusionary chronic diseases significantly increased the prevalence of GERD-related symptoms, as well as positive family history of GERD, height, BMI, coffee consumption, and smoking.

Impact of celebrity endorsement on attitudes toward voluntary blood donation

The use of celebrities to promote voluntary blood donation is a recurrent practice but no study to our knowledge has addressed the subject. This study showed that he persuasives characteristics of celebrities commonly considered in the commercial field are not all adapted to the social context. Indeed, in the context of solicitation of voluntary blood donation, the study showed that the reliability and notoriety of the celebrity in addition to the feelings of the audience toward him must be the determining attributes. In addition, the results revealed that the reliability and notoriety of the celebrity are the factors that favorably influence the attitude towards voluntary blood donation.&#x0D;

Occurrence and molecular characterization of human pegivirus-1 (HPgV-1) viremia in healthy volunteer blood donors from Northern Portugal.

Human pegivirus-1 (HPgV-1) is a member of the Flaviviridae family and the Pegivirus genus. Despite having been discovered 25 years ago, there is still much to know regarding HPgV-1 clinical impact, as this virus is currently not associated with any pathology. Yet, HPgV-1 prevalence and molecular characterization are still unknown in many countries, including Portugal. To fill in this knowledge gap, this study aimed to determine the occurrence and molecular characterization of HPgV-1 in a group of healthy blood donors from the north of Portugal. Blood samples from 465 Portuguese blood donors were collected from a major Hospital Center in the north of Portugal. RNA was extracted and an initial nested RT-PCR was performed targeting the conserved 5'-untranslated region region of the HPgV-1 genome. A second nested RT-PCR targeting the E2 region was performed for genotyping. Only one sample tested positive for HPgV-1 RNA, resulting in a prevalence of approximately 0.22%. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed the characterization as genotype 2, the most prevalent in Europe.

Performance of Chimeric Trypanosoma cruzi Antigens in Serological Screening for Chagas Disease in Blood Banks.

Chagas disease (CD) is among the top 10 causes of inability to blood donation. Blood donation centers screen for anti-Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies using highly sensitive immunoenzymatic (ELISA) or chemiluminescent methods, which can lead to false positive results. Since positive samples cannot be used, to avoid the loss of valuable blood donations, it is necessary to improve specificity without reducing the sensitivity of the tests used for blood screening. For this purpose, our group has developed four chimeric proteins (IBMP-8.1, IBMP-8.2, IBMP-8.3, and IBMP-8.4) that have been evaluated in phase I and II studies with high performance and low cross-reactivity rates. The study included a panel of 5,014 serum samples collected from volunteer blood donors at the Hematology and Hemotherapy Foundation of the State of Bahia (Brazil). They were subjected to the detection of anti-T. cruzi antibodies, using all four IBMP antigens individually and latent class analysis (LCA) as a reference test, since there is no gold standard test for this purpose. Considering the sample size analyzed, LCA classified 4,993 (99.6%) samples as T. cruzi-negative and 21 (0.42%) as T. cruzi-positive. Sensitivity values ranged from 85.71% for IBMP-8.1 and 90.48% for IBMP-8.2–95.24% for IBMP-8.3 and 100% for IBMP-8.4, while specificity ranged from 99.98% for IBMP-8.3 and IBMP-8.4–100% for IBMP-8.1 and IBMP-8.2. Accuracy values ranged from 99.4 to 99.98%. The pretest probability for the molecules was 0.42, whereas the positive posttest probability ranged from 95.24 to 99.95% and the negative posttest probability ranged from 0.00001 to 0.0006% for all antigens. The higher odds ratio diagnosis was found for IBMP-8.4, which has been shown to be a safe single antigen for serological screening of CD in blood samples. The use of chimeric IBMP antigens is an alternative to reduce the number of bags discarded due to false-positive results. These molecules have high diagnostic performance and were shown to be suitable for use in screening CD in blood banks, isolated (IBMP-8.4) or in combination; and their use in blood banks could significantly reduce unnecessary disposal of blood bags or the risk of T. cruzi transmission.

Immunohematological Parameters of Male and Female Blood Donors at Kenyatta National Hospital

Background: Immunohaematological reference intervals are critical in making accurate decisions in research, diagnosis and monitoring therapeutic outcomes. Consequently any gender – based disparities in the intervals need to be determined and so reflected when utilizing the ranges. This cross-section study to determine male and female immunohaematological reference intervals was conducted on suitable blood donors attended to at Kenyatta National Hospital blood donor Unit between 2018 and 2019.&#x0D; Objectives: To determine gender-based means, medians, 2.5 th and 97.5 th interquartile ranges of: CD4+ lymphocytes, red cell values, white cells absolute and differential counts and thrombocyte counts in suitable blood donors.&#x0D; Methods: A total of 108 (53.5%) female and 94 (46.5%) male volunteer blood donors aged between 18 and 60 years were recruited consecutively as they consented. Bootstrap methods were used to calculate means, medians and confidence intervals. The enrollees’ social demographic characteristics including: level of education, occupation, alcohol - drinking and smoking habits were captured using a questionnaire form. Immediately after blood donation five milliliters of blood samples for CD4+ analysis and haemogram were drawn from the pilot tube of the blood bag by injecting the cap of ethylene diamine tetra acetate (EDTA)-containing vacutaners with the donation needle. Analyses were done within 8 hours of sample collection using standard laboratory methods. The fit of the observed data distribution was determined using Shapiro – Wilk test with P &gt; 0.05 indicating Gaussian distribution. Statistical analyses were done using SPSS version 21. Means, medians and 2.5 th and 97.5 th interquartiles were determined. Gender – based differences were compared using Mann Whitney U test with P &lt; 0.05 being considered significant.&#x0D; Results: The male enrollees had a mean age of 31.91 years, while females’ mean age was 31.85 years. The majority of enrollees had tertially education with most males being in business and in formal employment; while most females were in business. Males demonstrated significantly higher mean values than females in: red blood cells (RBCs), haemoglobin (HB) and eosinophils (E). Significantly lower mean values in males than in females were demonstrated in: white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils (N), Lymphocytes (L), monocytes (M), CD4+ cells and Platelets (P).&#x0D; Conclusion: There exists significant gender-based differences in immunohaematological reference ranges that may lead to biased conclusions in laboratory diagnosis and research.

Seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus infection among volunteer blood donors in Central Brazil

A cross-sectional study was carried out in the Hematology and Hemotherapy Institute of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (Hemosul) to evaluate the seroprevalence and risk factors of Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) exposure among volunteer blood donors in Central Brazil. Two-hundred fifty samples from the biorepository were tested for anti-HEV IgG and IgM using the Wantai HEV ELISA test. The seroprevalence of HEV exposure was 6.4% (95% CI: 3.9–10.2). Being born in another state of Brazil, mainly in the Southeast and South regions, was associated with a higher risk of HEV exposure (p < 0.001).

Magnitude and trend of HIV and Treponema pallidum infections among blood donors in Offinso-North District, Ghana: a nine-year retrospective, cross-sectional study.

Blood transfusion poses a high public health risk to recipients; hence no effort recommended to eradicate or minimize the danger of transmitting the infections.Reproductive Biology should be underestimated at minimizing the risk of TTIs. This study determined the prevalence and trend of HIV and syphilis infections in voluntary blood donors. A retrospective analysis of secondary data from consecutive prospective voluntary blood donors who accessed Nkenkaasu District Hospital's Blood Bank from January 2010 to December 2018 was conducted. Cumulatively, HIV and Treponema pallidum seropositivity identified in the present study was high (19.1%, [95% C.I (0.026-0.028)]). The prevalence of HIV and syphilis infections were 10.9% (95% C.I (0.098-0.120)) and 8.9% (95% C.I (0.073-0.92)) respectively. Prospective female blood donors were less likely to test positive for T. pallidum than males (OR 0.511, [0.340 - 0.769], p=0.001), but the infection was similar among different ages. The data showed downward trend for both HIV and T. pallidum seropositivity, (slope=-2.9467, p<0.0001) and (slope=-0.7117, p<0.0001) respectively. Seroprevalence of HIV and Treponema pallidum were high, and their individual or combined seropositivity pose a significant threat to the safety of blood. Extensive and continuous screening for high-risk behaviours and infectious markers before blood donation is therefore Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, College of Medicine, Pan African University of Life and Earth Sciences Institute (PAULESI), University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.

C-Reactive Protein Levels in Male and Female Blood Donors at Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya

Background: C-reactive protein is an inflammatory marker and has found a wide clinical application in monitoring disease progress, effectiveness of treatment and post-operative complications. Determination of gender – based reference intervals of this protein would be of great value in eliminating any biases in results interpretation. It was in this endeavor that this cross-section study was conducted at Kenyatta National Hospital, blood donor unit, between 2018 and 2019. Objectives: To determine gender-based means, medians and 2.5 th and 97.5 th interquartile ranges of C-reactive protein (CRP) in suitable blood donors attended to at the blood donor unit of Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya. Methods: A total of 108 (53.5%) female and 94 (46.5%) male volunteer blood donors aged between 18 and 60 years were recruited consecutively as they consented. Their social demographic characteristics were captured using a questionnaire form. Immediately after blood donation five milliliters of blood samples for CRP determination were drawn from the pilot tube of the blood bag by injecting the cap of an Ethylene dopamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) vacutainer with the donation needle. Extracted plasma samples were stored frozen at -70 0 C till analysis. Analysis was done using standard laboratory methods. Statistical analyses were done using SPSS version 21. Bootstrap methods were used to calculate means, medians and confidence intervals. The fit of the observed data distribution was determined using Shapiro – Wilk tests with P &gt; 0.05 indicating Gaussian distribution. Means, medians and 2.5 th and 97.5 th interquartiles were determined. Gender – based comparison of the medians were done using Wilcoxon rank-sum test with, p&lt; 0.05, considered significant. Results: The male enrollees had a mean age of 31.91 years, while females’ mean age was 31.85 years. C-reactive protein demonstrated non-parametric distribution. Females’ medians were higher than males’ (11.7 mg/l vs. 4.4 mg/l, p&lt; 0.01) Conclusion: The females have significantly higher CRP median values than males in health.

High Frequency of Post-Transfusion Microchimerism Among Multi-Transfused Beta-Thalassemic Patients.

BackgroundTransfusion-associated microchimerism implies the presence of allogeneic hematopoietic cells in an individual, following the transfusion of a blood product. It is a transfusion-related adverse effect/long-term consequence, which has not been well-investigated among regularly transfused patients with thalassemia.Patients and MethodsWe investigated 64 regularly transfused, homozygous β-thalassemic patients and 21 never-transfused healthy volunteer blood donors (controls) for the presence of microchimerism in their sera, using real-time PCR targeting circulating allogeneic, both, Human Leukocyte Antigen-DR isotype (HLA-DR) and non-HLA alleles. The investigation was longitudinally repeated in patient subsets for more than 2 years. Results were correlated with clinical and laboratory parameters, peripheral blood lymphocyte immunophenotype, blood storage time, and donor's gender to identify potential contributing factors for microchimerism generation.ResultsOverall, microchimerism was detected in 52 of the 64 patients (81.2%) and in 6 of the 21 controls (28.5%, p = 0.0001). Forty-four patients (68.7%) exhibited long-term microchimerism (persisted for more than 6 months), confirmed at all time-points investigated. Microchimerism was more frequent among elderly, women, splenectomized and more heavily transfused patients, and among those who exhibit higher serum ferritin levels. In these patients, a distinct descending pattern of CD16dim+CD56dim+ natural killer (NK)-cells (p < 0.001) and an ascending pattern of CD4+CD25brightCD127– regulatory T-cells (p = 0.022) for increasing allelic burden were noticed, suggesting the establishment of recipient immune tolerance against the donor-derived chimeric alleles. Both splenectomized and non-splenectomized thalassemic patients exhibited the same trend. The storage time of transfused blood products and donor/gender mismatch had no impact on the development of microchimerism.Discussion-Conclusive RemarksTransfusion-associated microchimerism appears to be a very common complication among multi-transfused thalassemic patients. The potential clinical consequences of this phenomenon remain as yet unclear. Immune tolerance attributed to disease itself and to repeated transfusions might at least in part explain its appearance.

Understanding deferral rate and reason among voluntary blood donors at a tertiary care center

Healthy Donor selection is necessary for procurement of safe blood in addition to the screenings of blood bags for infectious diseases. Deferrals lead to loss of precious blood/components available for transfusion in emergency situation. To avoid such problems, we should be aware about its reasons and frequency. To find the incidence of donors who were deferred from donating blood and to determine the causes for same.The study was conducted in the blood bank of tertiary health care center, from January 2015 to December 2017 to find the incidence of deferral and reason behind it. Criteria for deferral was decided as per guidelines given by national health authority.A total of 10,000 donors were screened of which 99% were voluntary donors (VD). The total 598 donors were deferred among 10000 registered during study period. The total donor deferral rate was 6%. The percentage of deferral amongst males was 5.7% and females 7.4%. A majority (65%) of the deferred donors were between 18 to 30 years. The major causes of deferral were anemia and hypertension.Analysis of the deferrals showed that the proportion of temporary deferral was more common than the permanent deferral. Conducting pre-donation camp awareness session can reduce the deferral rate. Temporarily deferred individuals must be informed and followed up to encourage donation in future.

Prevalence of Hepatitis B among Voluntary Blood Donors in the Industrial Zone of Western Maharashtra

Around a million deaths are caused by Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection worldwide. Almost more than 257 million people live with chronic Hepatitis B infection all around the world ending up with hepatocellular carcinoma. This has become a major concern of public health nowadays. The present study was aimed to assess the prevalence of Hepatitis B infection among voluntary healthy blood donors in the industrial zone of Western Maharashtra. A total of 5000 donors fulfilled the inclusion criteria of the study and was accepted for blood donation during the study period of May 2019 to October 2020. The blood samples were tested for Hepatitis B surface Antigen as well as other Transfusion Transmitted Infections. Out of 5000 donors, the prevalence of HBsAg positive donors in our study was 0.62%. The HBsAg positivity rate was higher among the males (0.7%) as well as among the age group of 56 to 60 yrs (1.5%). It was concluded from the present study that the prevalence of Hepatitis B is showing a decreasing trend among voluntary blood donors when compared to similar studies. Education and awareness about blood borne infections, mass immunizations, encouragement of voluntary blood donations and vigorous screening of donors help to achieve reduction in the load of Hepatitis B and prevention of transfusion transmitted infection.

The Ethical Perception of Engineering Students Who Have Never Participated in the Ethics Curriculum

Existing studies on the ethical perception of engineering students is based on observations among students who have been exposed to ethical courses in engineering schools. Whether the students have never been exposed to engi-neering ethical curriculum, can they perceive the specific ethical standards (such as the NSPE Code of Ethics) that apply to engineers? It is also not clear about the factors affecting the ethical perception of those students? This study aims to provide clarity in this area by examining the ethical per-ception of students who have never been exposed to engineering ethical cur-riculum. The results of quantitative analysis from survey data with 654 Vi-etnamese engineering students showed that the students have a positive per-ception of specific ethical standards that apply to engineers. Finally, the Pearson correlation analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and linear regression analysis are used to examine the effect of students 'characteristics (such as gender, student year, GPA, voluntary blood donation of students, students' opinion on technology) on the ethical perception of engineering students.

Barriers and drivers of voluntary blood donation in northern and Western Tanzania

Introduction: Every second, someone in the world needs blood due to surgery, trauma, severe anemia or pregnancy complications. There is a shortage of blood for transfusion worldwide, with the heaviest burden faced by sub–Saharan Africa. In countries like Tanzania, the major source of blood is voluntary blood donation, making its supply one of the most challenging in the health care system. This study assessed the magnitude of the deficit of blood in blood banks, and explored views of key stakeholders on the need, availability and opportunities for improving blood donations in northern and Western Tanzania. Methods: This was an explanatory sequential mixed method study done in the Mpanda and Moshi districts in the Katavi and Kilimanjaro regions. A quantitative component involved a questionnaire survey with 253 community members from the two districts and 24 months blood bank records. The survey explored awareness and perceptions of voluntary blood donation. A qualitative component involved four focus group discussions with registered voluntary blood donors and health care providers from the National Blood Transfusion Service in the two districts. Results: Blood bank records indicated that more blood was collected in Katavi compared to the Kilimanjaro region. Only 26% of the survey respondents had ever donated blood in their lifetime, three quarters of these were from Mpanda district. There was no significant association between socio-demographic factors and likelihood of blood donation. However, being male, older (51 years and above), having higher household income and secondary school education were significantly associated with higher awareness of voluntary blood donation. Community sensitization, education, incentives and availability of blood donation centers near communities were among the most important factors listed to improve blood donation. Conclusions: Significant efforts need to be placed on sensitization and improving knowledge and awareness of voluntary blood donations in order to improve its uptake.

The role of mitral annular plane systolic excursion in prediction of acute blood loss in healthy voluntary blood donors

AimThe aim of this study is to compare the diameter of the inferior vena cava with mitral annular plane systolic excursion measurement in order to determine the volume loss before and after blood donation in healthy volunteers.Material and methodsThe study was a single-center, prospective, cross-sectional study which included 46 healthy blood donors donating in a tertiary care hospital’s blood bank. The inclusion criteria for the study were: volunteers aged 18–65 years, over 50 kg in weight, who met blood donation criteria, with hemoglobin values of >13.5 g/dL for males and >12.5 g/dL for females. After obtaining written consent, the systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure along with the pulse rate of the donors were measured in standing and lying positions by the attending physician. Next, inferior vena cava and mitral annular plane systolic excursion measurements were made both pre and post blood donation.ResultsThe decrease in both inferior vena cava diameter and mitral annular plane systolic excursion values measured pre and post blood donation was found to be statistically significant (p <0.05). There was no difference between the other variables pre and post blood donation.ConclusionsOur study revealed that decreased inferior vena cava and mitral annular plane systolic excursion values correlated in determining blood loss post blood donation. Mitral annular plane systolic excursion may be useful to predict blood loss in the early stages of hemorrhagic shock.

Prevalence and Factors Associated With Transfusion-Transmitted Infections Among Blood Donors at the National Blood Transfusion and Research Center, Sana’a, Yemen, 2017

Background Yemen is facing major challenges in ensuring the safety and availability of blood transfusion to meet the increased demand due to the protracted conflict. However, transfusion-transmissible infectious agents (TTIs) such as hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), syphilis, and malaria remain the greatest threats for blood transfusion safety in such fragile, conflict-affected, and vulnerable settings. Objective The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of TTIs among blood donors attending the National Blood Transfusion and Research Center (NBTRC) and the associated factors. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 340 blood donors at the NBTRC during November and December 2017. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a predesigned questionnaire that covered sociodemographic characteristics and possible TTI-associated factors. Blood samples were drawn and tested for HBV surface antigen (HBsAg), HCV antibodies, HIV1, and HIV2 using electrochemiluminescence immunoassays, and syphilis and malaria antibodies were screened with rapid immunochromatographic techniques. Results The overall prevalence of TTIs was 8.8%, with HBV, HCV, HIV, syphilis, and malaria accounting for 2.5%, 1.2%, 0.3%, 1.2%, and 3.2% of all TTIs, respectively. HBV was significantly associated with a history of jaundice and cupping. Furthermore, urethro-vaginal excretion was significantly associated with syphilis, whereas malaria detection was significantly higher among donors from malaria-endemic areas. Nearly three-quarters of donations were from replacement donors who had a significantly higher TTI prevalence than that of the voluntary donors (10.4% vs 3.3%; odds ratio 3.4, 95% CI 1.1-11.6). Conclusions Although the prevalence of TTIs is low, they still pose a serious risk for blood recipients, especially in fragile, conflict-affected, and vulnerable settings where the needs for blood transfusion are increasing and resources are limited. Therefore, using more sensitive screening methods and establishment of a TTIs surveillance system should be considered. Efforts should be made to improve donor recruitment procedures and increase the proportion of regular and voluntary blood donation.

Blood Donation in Lebanon: A Six-Year Retrospective Study of a Decentralized Fragmented Blood Management System.

IntroductionIn developing countries, the lack of a sufficient and safe blood supply is a significant impediment to providing health care. Lebanon is notable for its absence of a Donor Management System to ensure continuous donor recruitment and scheduling. Herein, we report the findings of Lebanon's first large retrospective population-based study to investigate blood types and donation that is critical for managing community blood supply.MethodsThe non-remunerated voluntary blood donors were recruited by the non-profit organization “Donner Sang Compter”. The study spanned six years, from August 2015 to May 2021, and included 36,002 people from 18 districts throughout Lebanon's nine governorates.ResultsThe most prevalent blood type was A (42%), followed by O (37.48%), B (13.86%), and the AB group (6.84%). RhD+ groups were predominant (88.45%), with A+ being the most (37.84%) and AB- being the least prevalent (1.05%). Furthermore, blood type and donation profiling revealed a substantial geographical variation in the frequency of blood groups, despite the relatively small country’s area. As for blood donation, when gender and age were considered, young male donors dominated the pool across the country.ConclusionThis study on blood type prevalence and blood donor demographics may pave the way for the development of a more coherent and integrated blood management system in Lebanon, as opposed to the fragmented and decentralized system now in existence. These findings also provide crucial clinical information for the country's future transfusion medicine policies and practices, which is vital in such a precarious part of the world.

Factors influencing voluntary blood donation practice among university students of Bangladesh

Although voluntary blood donation among young people, particularly university students, is increasing and saving many valued lives, it is unclear which characteristics of the students have the most influence on their willingness to participate in voluntary blood donation. We aimed to identify the correlates that might influence voluntary blood donation practice. In total, 439 students from different universities in Bangladesh participated in this study. Data were collected using an e-questionnaire. To better understand students’ perception regarding voluntary blood donation, exploratory data analysis and the Pearson Chi-square test were performed. The degree of association of the possible risk factors was evaluated using odds ratios (OR) from a backward selection binary logistic regression model. 54 % (237) of the respondents voluntarily donated blood at least once. The odds of male students voluntarily donating blood were 7.28 (95 % CI: 4.14–12.78) times higher than their counterparts. University students who participated in various volunteer organizations were 2.43 [95 % CI: 1.49–3.96], p = 0.005) times and students, who had seen advertisements of blood donation on social media or a part of social media-based blood donation campaign were 4.72 [95 % CI: 2.57–8.65] times more likely to donate blood than their counterparts. The majority of the first-year students were discovered to be first-time blood donors. Moreover, BMI was also found to be significantly associated (positively) with blood donation practice. We found that females, students with lower BMI, and students who are not involved in any voluntary organization are less involved in voluntary blood donation.

The Establishment and Application of Flow Cytometry on the Detection of Jka Antigen in Kidd Blood Group

To establish a based method flow cytometry to identify the antigen Jka in human red blood cells (RBCs) and verify its accuracy. A total of 96 blood samples were enrolled in the study randomly from the voluntary blood donors in Shenzhen Blood Center. The RBCs were incubated with IgG anti-Jka primary antibody, and then labeled with the secondary antibody anti-IgG-Alexa Fluor 647. The fluorescence histograms of each sample were obtained by flow cytometry. Serological agglutination test was used to compare the accuracy of flow cytometry in the detecting of antigen Jka, while PCR-SSP and gene sequencing genotyping were used to verify the accuracy of flow cytometry in the detecting of the antigen in human RBCs. The results of flow cytometry for antigen Jka in human RBCs were consistent with those from serological tests. Samples that demonstrated higher serological agglutination intensity also showed higher fluorescence activity, which indicate more stronger of Jka antigen. The sensitivity of flow cytometry was higher than that of serological test; especially in distinguish Jka weak and negative samples. Flow cytometric results of all samples were consistent with the genotyping results, which confirmed the accuracy of flow cytometry. The study established a new flow cytometry-based method successfully for the identification of Jka antigen of Kidd blood group in human RBCs. The Kidd blood group antigen Jka of different intensities can be accurately distinguished by the technique.