Analysis of Blood Transfusion Request and Utilization Pattern at the Blood Centre of the Tribal District, Dahod,...

Introduction Blood is the most commonly donated, vital and essential tissue, saving many lives. It is better to use components instead of whole blood for maximum benefits of blood. Blood is considered a life-saving medicine, so it must be used with precautions as blood and its components can cause side effects such as transfusion-transmitted infections and various transfusion reactions in the recipients. Physicians must therefore be aware of the risk/benefit ratio. Regular internal audits of the blood centres should be conducted to know usage trends. The aim of this study is to analyse the component usage pattern, their demand and the utilization pattern in a tertiary supply centre in Dahod, India. Material and methods This is a retrospective, descriptive study conducted over a one-year period from January 1, 2021, to December 31 2021. All data was collected in our blood centre. Results 5811 blood components were distributed. Red cell concentrate have been utilized the most followed by fresh-frozen plasma and platelet concentrate, respectively. Cryoprecipitate is used the least. Maternity patients benefit greatly from red cell concentrate. The majority of platelet rich concentrate and fresh frozen plasma are utilised by medicine and paediatric departments. The demand for blood is greater as compared to the total collection. Conclusion The maternity department receives the majority of the red cell concentrate for the treatment of severe anaemia. Platelet rich concentrate and fresh frozen plasma, on the other hand, are mostly utilised by the medicine department. Different blood components have seasonal variations as well. So, periodic analysis of the usage pattern and need for different blood components at different times also helps maintain blood inventory.