Dealing with blood group discrepancies in donor populations in a resource-poor blood center, practical approach: A...

ABO and RhD grouping are the most important pretransfusion tests. Discrepancies in blood grouping are one of the major causes of transfusion reactions. Although ABO and RhD blood group discrepancies are not a very frequent phenomenon, an overall prevalence in the healthy populations was not known in the south-eastern part of West Bengal, India.

To analyze the overall prevalence of ABO-Rh (D) blood group discrepancies in healthy blood donor populations, serological methods to resolve them and to supply blood in emergency circumstances to such persons.

In this study, a total of 8000 voluntary blood donors were chosen by the simple random sampling from South-Eastern part of West Bengal and blood grouping was done by the conventional tube technique method. Discrepancies were found among 24 blood donors with overall incidence of 0.3%. Resolution of group discrepancies done by extended incubation, weak D testing, subgroup detection with specific antisera, adsorption elution technique, secretor status by inhibition technique, etc., Direct immunoglobulin test (DAT) was done on all the samples by the polyspecific gel card method.

Most of the discrepancies were due to weak or missing serum reactivity, (11 samples, incidence 0.13%), extra serum or red cell activity found in 6 samples (incidence 0.07%), subgroups causing weak red cell activity found in 4 samples (incidence 0.05%), and weak D antigen found in three samples (incidence 0.03%). One sample was DAT positive with no grouping anomaly.

Here, in this study, blood group discrepancies were resolved using simple serological techniques. This study may help to resolute group discrepancies in day to day transfusion practices where modern facilities are not available.