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Abstract

Background: Blood transfusion remains fundamental to modern medical practice, yet ensuring donor and recipient safety presents significant challenges. Donor deferral, occurring before or after donation, is critical for maintaining blood supply safety and quality. Understanding deferral causes and patterns is essential for optimizing donor selection and retention strategies.
Objective: To evaluate the frequency and distribution of blood donor deferral causes before and after donation within a tertiary care hospital setting.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted over six months at the Blood Bank of KEMU/Mayo Hospital. Standardized screening tools assessed 280 blood donors. Pre-donation deferrals were determined through clinical history, physical examination, and laboratory parameters. Post-donation deferrals were identified via serological screening for transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs): HBsAg, anti-HCV, HIV, syphilis, and malaria. Data analysis used SPSS v26, with frequencies and percentages calculated for deferral causes.
Results: Among 280 donors, primary pre-donation deferral causes were low total leukocyte count (51.43%), hypertension (51.07%), and low platelet count (50.36%). Post-donation deferrals were predominantly due to HBsAg positivity (54.64%), syphilis (51.79%), and anti-HCV positivity (50.00%). Female donors showed higher rates of anemia (73 vs. 64) and low platelet count (84 vs. 57), while males had elevated hypertension (75 vs. 68) and HIV positivity (71 vs. 67). Donors aged 26 to 35 years experienced the highest post-donation deferral frequency.
Conclusion: Pre- and post-donation deferrals impose a substantial burden, driven primarily by hematological abnormalities and TTIs. Findings underscore the need for enhanced donor education, stringent screening protocols, and targeted interventions to improve donor eligibility and blood supply safety.