Donor Deferral Pattern in a Hospital-Based Transfustion Center

The exclusion of high risk-donors by selection is one of the most crucial steps to improve the overall safety of the blood supply and the donor eligibility. This is currently achieved through the donor questionnaire, medical assessment, complete blood count, and the serological testing for the blood borne pathogens, namely: syphilis, hepatitis B & C, and HIV infection. This study was undertaken in a donation center of tertiary card teaching hospital to assess the common causes of donor deferral and the pattern of change i the disease markers that can lead to donor exclusion over the course of time. A total of 32,775 potential non-remunerated blood donors encountered at the donor center of King Abdulaziz University were enrolled in this study over the years 1997 through 2002. The data was collected and analyzed for the distribution of the donor exclusion causes. Among all the encountered donors 12.07% were deferred, the causes of rejection were donor interview (7.03%), CBC (0.96%), and positive Serology (4.08%). Hepatitis B & C are the two most prevalent infections among blood donors. The number of donors excluded on the basis of the donor interview exceeded those who were excluded after the serological testing, underlining the importance and the efficiency of the interview in ensuring both the donor eligibility and the safety of the blood supply.