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Blood donation and patterns of use in southeastern Nigeria
Author(s) -
Emeribe A.O.,
Ejele A.O.,
Attai E.E.,
Usanga E.A.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1046/j.1537-2995.1993.33493242641.x
Subject(s) - medicine , phlebotomy , blood donor , donation , blood transfusion , blood bank , surgery , autotransfusion , blood donations , blood units , obstetrics , emergency medicine , immunology , economics , economic growth
A retrospective study of donor blood availability and patterns of use from 1984 through 1988 was conducted in a 400‐bed university teaching hospital in Nigeria by extraction of data from the master registers for blood donors and recipients. Blood transfusion requests, number of persons who underwent phlebotomy, number of crossmatches performed, and blood use increased each year during the period of study. Average wastage rate and crossmatch‐to‐transfusion ratio were 3.5 percent and 1.61, respectively. Replacement blood donation constituted 98 percent of available donor blood. Obstetrics and gynecology and surgery patients used 70.4 percent of the donor blood. The donor blood units were used as whole blood (81%) because of a lack of infrastructure such as a refrigerated centrifuge. Less than 5 percent of the donors were females. It is concluded that the levels of voluntary blood donation and general blood supply are unacceptably low. The need for a functional National Blood Transfusion Service is highlighted.