Safe Transfusion Practices: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

The aim of quality in blood transfusion services (BTS) is to ensure the provision of safe transfusion of blood and its components. Blood bank is the only laboratory directly responsible for the patients with no intervening physician (doctor) interpretation, so any mistake in blood transfusion service (blood banks) can be disastrous. In order to prevent mistakes in blood transfusion services it is essential to have adequate quality assurance in blood transfusion services. There are many terms used in relation to quality i.e. quality control, quality assurance and quality audit. Blood transfusion service (BTS) is a vital part of the National Health Service and there is as yet no substitute for human blood or its components. Increasing awareness of blood transmissible disease has necessitated enforcement of stricter control over the quality of blood and its products. In most of the developed countries the blood transfusion services has advanced in all facets of donor management, storage of blood, grouping and cross matching, testing of blood transmissible diseases and the rational use of blood and its products. However, in our rural and resource constrained set up blood banks operate in total isolation; their standards vary from states to states, cities to cities, and from one centre to another centre in the same city. The hospital based decentralized blood banking system has led to a skewed distribution of resources and makes difficult any implementation of a stringent quality control program.