Blood Safety: New challenges & Opportunities in Developing Nation

Abstract

the health care system but the safety and availability of blood and transfusion is not assured. The threats include:-(a) an insufficient number of voluntary non-remunerated repeat regular blood donors to ensure an adequate supply of safe blood and blood components. (b) Risk of the transmission of infections such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis through unsafe transfusion. (c) Unnecessary transfusions, which needlessly expose patients to the risk of acute or delayed reactions and transfusion-transmitted infections. (d) Errors in the transfusion of blood and blood components. 2 Blood safety depends on the following factors :-(a) The incidence and prevalence of transfusion-transmissible infections in the blood donor population. (b) The effectiveness of the blood donor education and recruitment programme and procedures for donor selection and screening, including the deferral or exclusion of unsuitable donors. (c) The quality of screening of all donated blood for transfusion transmissible infections. (d) The quality of blood grouping, compatibility testing, component preparation and the storage and transportation of blood products. (e) The extent to which blood and blood products are prescribed only when there is no alternative to transfusion for the particular patient. (f) The reliability of the system for ensuring that patients receive blood that is compatible with their blood group, red cell antibodies and other special requirements. 2