Frequency and reasons of donor deferral prior to blood donation process: a single centre experience

The aim of the study was to determine the frequency and reasons for donor deferral prior to the blood donation process in our population.

Transfusion is an irreversible event that carries potential risks as well as benefits to the recipient. Therefore, donor selection prior to blood donation is one of the most important steps in ensuring the safety of blood and blood products.

A cross-sectional study was carried out at the blood bank department in our hospital from January 2012 to December 2014. All the blood donors who visited our department in the study period were included in this study.

A total of 25 901 potential donations were recorded during the study period, comprising 24 309 (93·8%) replacement and 1592 (6·2%) voluntary donations. Females accounted for only 222 (0·9%) of potential donations. Deferral occurred in 3156 (12·2%) of attempts; 280 (1·1%) were permanently deferred, while 2876 (11·1%) were temporarily deferred. The most common reason for permanent deferral was a history of hepatitis B infection (n = 147, 4·7% of all deferrals). Major reasons for temporary donor deferral were low levels of haemoglobin (n = 971, 30·76%), low levels of platelets (n = 611, 19·35%) and previous history of jaundice (n = 192, 6·1%).

This study reported a fairly similar pattern of donor deferrals as in other regional studies. Low haemoglobin levels and a history of hepatitis B infection were the most common factors for temporary and permanent donor deferrals, respectively.