Study of Blood Donor Profile at a

Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital

Author(s): N. Madan, J. Qadiri, F. Akhtar

Journal of the Academy of Hospital Administration

Vol. 17, No. 2 (2005-01 - 2005-12)

Presented by…..
Mr. SHANTESH S. SALAGARE
M. H. A. First Year
J.Shantesh
Dept of Hospital Administration N. M. C, Belgaum.
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Abstract:
Blood banking is one of the pillars of modern medicine.
However, it has come under a lot of flak recently due to its
potential to transmit lethal diseases.
National and international efforts for ensuring a safe blood
supply target donor collection through screening and
education.
The profile of the typical donor who serves as raw material for
a blood bank and is subject to controls by the National AIDS
Control Organisation (NACO) is described herein

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INTRODUCTION
The purpose of donor screening and deferral programmes is
to minimize the possibility of transmitting infectious agents
from a unit of donated blood to the recipient of that unit and to
ensure the welfare of the donor.

In January, 1983, the Blood Banking Organisation of USA

recommended the use of donor screening questions to detect
early symptoms of AIDS or exposure to AIDS patients among
donors and the Centre for Disease Control, Atlanta suggested
the use of surrogate tests for certain blood borne diseases

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 In India, National Aids Control Organisation (NACO) paid
special attention to the condition of the blood banks and in
tandem with the Drug Controller of India (DCI), introduced
stringent by-laws and testing procedures for infectious agents
in blood banks.

Screening of blood for HIV was made mandatory in India in

1988.

In 1992, testing blood for Hepatitis B, Syphilis, and Malaria

was required of all blood banks. Similar legislation came into
effect for HCV from June 1, 2001. NACO has put into place a
system for testing blood units rather than donors.

On the other hand, the emphasis on nonremunerated,

voluntary donations to minimize the risk of transfusion
transmitted disease has told heavily upon the available donor
pool.
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AIM:

This study was conducted with the aim of

identifying the profile of the donors reporting
at a tertiary care blood bank, and studying
the efficacy of its donor screening program.

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METHODOLOGY

Between October 2002 and March 2003, 350 donors (10% of

the donor sample), selected by systematic random sampling
were interviewed using a predesigned interview schedule at
the blood bank of a teritary super special hospital at srinagar.

The variables identified as significant to be included in the

interview were based on the donor deferral criteria developed
by NACO and American Association of Blood Banks (AABB)
(2,3).

A general physical examination of the sample under study

was conducted.

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 Donor blood samples were tested for hemoglobin by the
cyanmethemoglobin method; for HIV, HCV and Australia
antigen by ELISA and for syphilis by the VDRL technique.

Positive cases of HIV were confirmed by the Department of

Immunology using Rapidex spot test followed by the ELISA
method, repeated twice using kits from different companies;
and positive cases of Australia antigen and HCV were
confirmed by a repetition of the ELISA technique in the
Department of Microbiology.

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OBSERVATIONS
Information on demographic profile, risk factors and laboratory
results was collected after the donors had been recruited by the
blood bank functionaries.

These observations thus served the dual purpose of determining

donor profile as well as the efficacy of the process of donor
selection by the blood bank staff. ( Fig.1-5)

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The typical donor is a young, educated, married rural male in the third
decade of life, belonging to the lower socioeconomic status and
donating blood for a close relative.

He also tends to be a first time donor, donating mostly out of social

compulsion for an exchange donation of the allogeneic kind. This is in
concordance with results of similar studies in other third world
countries (4).

Education and awareness play a positive role in encouraging hospital

attendance and blood donation by creating a demand for blood and
dissipating ignorance.

Only 2.6% of the donations are purely voluntary. This is far below the
national average of 39.3% for voluntary donations (5) vis a vis 50%
replacement donations from a study conducted in 1996.

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Significantly, no professional donors could be identified in the
sample, which is in keeping with the guidelines developed by the
National Aids Control Organization.

First time donors form nearly 76% of the total donor population
under study at the tertiary level hospital.

Greater man hours are spent on the education and orientation of

first time donors. They are also twice as likely to have disqualifying
medical conditions as are regular donors.

Unit losses for first time donors are greater after testing for
infectious diseases, as positive rates are higher in them. This
increases the economic strain on the blood bank.

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 Nearly 20% of the sample studied reported with positive relevant
history and should have been excluded from donation.

Low haemoglobin levels were found in 14% of the donors. This is

a telling comment upon the state of the donor deferral services;
especially notable is the case with bleeding disorder on
coagulation therapy, as are donors with blood pressure beyond
acceptable limits and recent history of jaundice.

The risk of transfusion related HCV remains 1 in 100,000 despite

all precautions of screening and testing under optimum
conditions.

Infectious disease markers were found to be present in 2.2% of

the sample tested.

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CONCLUSION
It may be summarized that the blood bank at tertiary Level
Hospital does not have a stable, voluntary donor pool to fall back
upon during times of need, so that uncertainty of supply remains
a very real possibility, which could be mitigated to some extent
by….

 Encouraging alternative modalities like freeze drying of blood,

 Autologous donations,
 Establishing rapport with NGOs and the media
 Targeting the younger population for motivation and awareness
regarding blood donation.
 The healthy young donor continues to be the ideal raw material
for the blood banking industry.

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 Fig 1: Type of Donation

Fig 2: Donation History

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 Fig 3: Presence of Risk Factor

Fig 4: General Physical

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Administration Shantesh
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 Quality Assurance, AABB tech Manual 2005(15).
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 Kapoor et al: Blood transfusion practices in India: results of national
survey; Ind. Jr. of Gastroent: April-June, 2000 (19:2); 64-71.
 Oswalt RM: Review of blood donor motivation and recruitment;
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 Baden P: Donor motivation; donor room policies and procedures. AABB,
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