title: Blood utilization at a national referral hospital in sub-Saharan Africa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A safe and adequate supply of blood is critical to improving health care systems in sub-Saharan Africa, where little is known about the current use of blood. The aim of this study was to comprehensively describe the use of blood at a tertiary care hospital to inform future efforts to strengthen blood programs in resource-limited settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from blood bank documentation for all units issued at Mulago Hospital Complex in Kampala, Uganda, from mid-January to mid-April 2014.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 6330 units (69% whole blood, 32% red blood cells, 6% platelets, 2% plasma) were issued over the 3-month study period to 3662 unique patients. Transfusion recipients were 58% female and median age was 27 years (interquartile range [IQR], 14-41). Median pretransfusion hemoglobin was 5.6 g/dL (IQR, 4.0-7.2 g/dL, n = 1090). Strikingly, cancer was the top indication for transfusion (33.5%), followed by pregnancy-related complications (12.4%) and sickle cell disease (6.9%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides a comprehensive picture of blood use at a national referral hospital in sub-Saharan Africa. Noncommunicable diseases, particularly oncologic conditions, represent a large proportion of demand for transfusion services.
authors: University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
authors: Elissa K
authors: EK
authors: Butler
authors: School of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.|Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors: Heather
authors: H
authors: Hume
authors: Global Health Uganda, Kampala, Uganda.
authors: Isaac
authors: I
authors: Birungi
authors: School of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.
authors: Brenda
authors: B
authors: Ainomugisha
authors: School of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.
authors: Ruth
authors: R
authors: Namazzi
authors: School of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.|Uganda Cancer Institute, Kampala, Uganda.
authors: Henry
authors: H
authors: Ddungu
authors: School of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda.
authors: Isaac
authors: I
authors: Kajja
authors: Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda.
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Nabadda
authors: University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
authors: Jeffrey
authors: J
authors: McCullough
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara; D001771:Blood Banks / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D055815:Young Adult