Reasons for blood donation deferral in sub-Saharan Africa: experience in Ivory Coast.
BACKGROUND
Blood donor selection is important to ensure the safety of both donors and recipients. There is a paucity of data on reasons for blood donor deferral in Ivory Coast. The aim of this study was to identify the reasons for predonation deferral at a blood collection site at General Hospital, Yopougon Attié in Abidjan.


METHODS
The investigators conducted a retrospective audit of data pertaining to donor deferral for blood donors that presented to the general hospital of Yopugon Attié from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2008.


RESULTS
A total of 10,694 prospective blood donors, presented over the study period, and 24,363 attempts to donate were registered. The majority were repeat blood donors (77.4%). A total of 2618 (10.8%) donors were deferred. The most frequent reason for deferral was a low hemoglobin level (42.5%), with females constituting the majority of those deferred. The second most frequent reason for deferral was a reported change of or new sexual partner (34.3%); male donors were predominant in this group. Additional reasons for deferral included short interdonation interval (4.6%) and reactivity for a screened biomarker (2.3%).


CONCLUSIONS
Although the rates for permanent and temporary deferral rates are similar between the Ivory Coast and high-middle income countries, the causes and demographics differ. The reasons for exclusion are preventable through awareness and education of prospective blood donors.
General Hospital at Yopougon Attié, Ivory Coast. dianekouao@yahoo.fr
Maxime Diane
MD
Kouao
Bamory
B
Dembelé
Landry Kouassi
LK
N'Goran
Seidou
S
Konaté
Evan
E
Bloch
Edward L
EL
Murphy
Jean-Jacques
JJ
Lefrère
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000453:epidemiology; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054869:Clinical Audit; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007560:Cote d'Ivoire / Q000453:epidemiology; D046148:Donor Selection / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012309:Risk-Taking; D055815:Young Adult