Blood transfusion practices in India: results of a national survey.
BACKGROUND
Blood transfusion may lead to serious clinical consequences for the recipient, if the transfused blood is not safe. To assess the functioning of the blood banks in India, a nation-wide, questionnaire-based study was conducted between November 1995 and November 1996 under the auspices of the Indian Association for Study of the Liver.


METHODS
Of 604 blood banks in 31 states and union territories to whom the questionnaires were sent, responses wereobtained from 78 (13%) blood banks in 17 (54.8%) states, providing information on 275,000 donors.


RESULTS
A majority (58%) of donors in these blood banks were replacement donors, followed by voluntary (39.3%) donors. About 87% of the respondent blood banks screen blood for hepatitis B, 95% for HIV, 94% for syphilis, 67% for malaria, and only 6% for hepatitis C. Marked heterogeneity in the test methods was observed with only 13% using ELISA kits for HBsAg. Only 21% of the blood banks prepare blood-derived components. Feedback to the blood banks on the occurrence of transfusion-associated hepatitis is given on less than 40% of occasions.


CONCLUSIONS
Testing for transfusion-transmitted infections is unsatisfactory and poorly regulated in India. Reporting of adverse events after transfusion is poor and no stringent donor deferral system exists.
Kapoor
D
D
Department of Gastroenterology, G B Pant Hospital, New Delhi.
Saxena
R
R
Sood
B
B
Sarin
S K
SK
D001771:Blood Banks / Q000592:standards*; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000592:standards; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D011786:Quality Control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D065227:Transfusion Reaction