Title: Sero-prevalence of Transfusion Transmitted Infections among Blood Donors at CRRH, Gelephu, Bhutan
Authors: Vishal Chhetri, Rinchen, Ran Bdr Giri
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v6i5.42
Abstract
Background: Blood transfusion has become a lifesaving medical procedure in modern day health care system. The need for blood or its products is increasing due to two reasons, firstly due to improved and accurate diagnosis of complex diseases and treatment modalities and secondly due to increase in ageing population with increase in average life expectancy. Therefore, it is a huge challenge to meet this demand of safe blood and blood products. On the other hand, the subject of real concern during transfusion is transfusion transmitted infections (TTIs) that threaten the safety of the recipient. Hence, the aim of this study is to know the TTI sero-prevalence rate among the blood donors presented at Blood Bank Centre, Central Regional Referral Hospital, Gelephu, Bhutan.
Material and Methods: A retrospective study from the blood units collected from both voluntary and replacement blood donors over a period of 12 years (2005 to 2017)at CRRH, Gelpehu, was included in the study. Blood samples were collected as purposive sample from each donor to screen for anti HIV 1 & 2, HBsAg, anti HCV, Syphilis and malaria.
Results: Over the years the number of voluntary blood donors has drastically increased from 04 voluntary blood donors in 2005 to 1043 in 2017. A total of9193 donors were included from January 2005 to December 2017, amongst which 47.75% (n=4364) were replacement and 52.25% (n=4775) were voluntary blood donors. Of the total blood donors there were 2.57% (n=236)sero-reactive cases which included 0.02% (n=2) HIV 1&2, 0.93% (n=85) of HBsAg, 0.02% (n=2) HCV, 1.61% (n=147) Syphilis, respectively. Sero-reactivity for various TTIs among replacement blood donor was 1.43% (n=131) and 1.14% (n=104) among voluntary blood donors, respectively. The common types of TTI among blood donors was Syphilis (1.61%) infection then followed by Hepatitis B infection (0.93%).
Conclusion: It was found there is gradual increase in the number of voluntary blood donors over the time. Although, the rate of sero-reactivity is not so high, but there is still a need to improve and implement better donor selection criteria and use sensitive test kit to reduce the probability of transmission of TTIs.
Keywords: Blood Donor, Gelephu, Transfusion Transmitted Infections.