Notification of transfusion transmitted infection

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Hematology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• The National Blood Policy of India (2002) mandates informing blood donors of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTI) results.
• Current practices in Indian blood banks often involve discarding TTI-positive blood due to lack of clear notification procedures, potentially withholding vital health information from donors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess voluntary blood donor awareness and preferences regarding the disclosure of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTI) results in Kerala, India.
• To identify gaps between national policy recommendations and actual donor experiences with TTI result notification.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted among 105 voluntary blood donors in Kerala.
• Data collected included donor form completion, awareness of TTI notification policies, and preferences for receiving test results.

Main Results:

• Only two-thirds of participants had completed a donor form in the past year.
• Approximately half of the donors were unaware that blood banks are obligated to inform them of positive TTI results.
• A significant majority (57%) of donors expressed a desire to be informed of their TTI status with every donation, regardless of the result.

Conclusions:

• There is a critical disconnect between India's National Blood Policy on TTI disclosure and the practical implementation and donor awareness.
• Blood donors exhibit a strong preference for receiving their TTI status, indicating a need for improved communication strategies and donor education by blood banks.
• Establishing standardized and ethical notification processes for TTI results is essential to align with policy and respect donor rights and health concerns.