title: Evaluation of blood donors questionnaire in a developing country: The case of Gabon.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Blood transfusion is a life-saving therapeutic act without alternative. Each blood transfusion carries the risk of blood-borne pathogens transmission. The present study, is the first establishing the usefulness of blood donors screening questionnaire in the setting of the Gabonese National Blood Transfusion Center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine hundred and thirty-four blood donors aged between 18 and 48 years old were initially enrolled and submitted to physical examination (body-mass index and blood pressure). After physical examination 854 donors were judged fit for blood donation and were randomly distributed in two groups. The first group of donors did not take the screening questionnaire; whereas the second group went through the screening questionnaire. Both groups were then tested for human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data revealed a seroprevalence among the donors of 2.5%, 2.5%, 1.1%, and 3.3% for the human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis markers respectively. In the Gabonese setting, blood donors' screening questionnaire reduced respectively by 0.6%, 0.35% and 1.3% the proportion of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and treponema pallidum seroreactive donors being selected for donation. The questionnaire had no positive effect on discriminating human immunodeficiency virus positive donors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blood donors' seroprevalence of blood-borne pathogens is relatively important in our setting. Blood donors' screening questionnaire reduced the proportion of hepatitis B, hepatitis C and syphilis seropositive blood donors. The questionnaire did not effectively discriminate human immunodeficiency virus-infected donor candidates.
authors.affiliation: Centre national de transfusion sanguine (CNTS), Libreville, Gabon.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kouegnigan Rerambiah
authors.affiliation: Centre national de transfusion sanguine (CNTS), Libreville, Gabon.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Biyoghe
authors.affiliation: Centre national de transfusion sanguine (CNTS), Libreville, Gabon.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bengone
authors.affiliation: Centre national de transfusion sanguine (CNTS), Libreville, Gabon; Laboratoire national de santé publique, Libreville, Gabon. Electronic address: joelfleury@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Djoba Siawaya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003906:Developing Countries; D046148:Donor Selection / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D005681:Gabon / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013587:Syphilis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013588:Syphilis Serodiagnosis; D014766:Viremia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000914:Antibodies, Viral
keywords: Blood donors; Developing country; Donneurs de sang; Infections transmissibles par la transfusion; Pays en développement; Questionnaire; Transfusion-transmissible infections