DONOR DEFERRAL AND COMMON CAUSES: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY AMONG PROSPECTIVE BLOOD DONORS AT THE LIMBE REGIONAL HOSPITAL BLOOD BANK, CAMEROON.

Blood donors deferral pattern and Associated causes

Abstract

Background

The scarcity of blood donors has always been a major concern for blood banks globally. Lack of eligibility by potential blood donors to donate blood called blood donor deferral is associated with the unsustainable and inadequate amount of blood collected by blood banks worldwide. However, there is limited information on blood donor deferral rates and causes reported from the Limbe Regional Hospital blood bank. This study was aimed at determining the blood donor deferral rate and associated causes at Limbe Regional hospital's blood bank center.

Methods

A hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out that lasted from January 2021 to July 2021 at Limbe Regional Hospital's blood bank. Blood donors’ data were collected using structured questionnaires, and donors were screened following the National Policy for blood donor selection criteria in Cameroon. Data were entered into Excel version 2013 and transferred to SPSS version 20 for analysis. The level of significance alpha of 5% at a 95% confidence interval was considered. 

Results

The blood donor deferral rate was 13.6% and no association was observed between type of donor and donor acceptance status as well as between type of donor and deferral status (P value>0.05). Hepatitis B surface antigen positive (66.7%), hypertension (22.2%), and diabetic (11.1%) were the causes of permanent deferrals whereas low haemoglobin concentration (71.4%), low weight (14.3%) and donation interval less than the specified periods (14.3%) were the causes of temporal deferrals.

Conclusion

The blood donor deferral rate is high at the Limbe Regional hospital blood bank and donor deferral is not dependent on the type of donor also donor type does not influence the deferral status. HBsAg positive was the leading cause of permanent deferrals and low haemoglobin concentration was the leading cause of temporal deferrals. Communities should be educated on the criteria for blood donor selection.