Introduction: The risk of transfusion transmitted diseases in blood transfusion is one of the main challenges in blood centers. In recent years there has been special attention in the donor selection strategies in blood banks in order to provide safer blood supply. Important actions are elimination of risky donation and increase in the number of regular donors. In this study, the prevalence of blood-borne infections among regular, non-regular and first-time blood donors in Maragheh Blood center was evaluated from March 2017 till March 2019.
Methods: In this retrospective study, the prevalence of transfusion transmitted infections was compared among regular, non-regular and first-time blood donors of Maragheh Blood Center. The total of 21094 blood donors were referred Maragheh Blood Transfusion Center and donated blood from March 2017 to March 2019. Out of this number, 11545 were regular donors (54.75%), 5130 non-regular donors (24.31%), and 4419 first-time donors (20.94%). Data of donors including HBsAg, HCVAb, and HIVAb status were extracted from the computerized data source of Maragheh Blood Transfusion Center of primary ELISA screening test. In the case of positive ELISA, confirmation tests including neutralization, RIBA and Blot were done on the samples. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage).
Results: Out of 21094 blood donors, 11545 (54.75%) were regular, 5130 (24.31%) non-regular and 4419 (20.94%) first-time donors. 20328 cases were male (96.37%) and 766 female (3.63%). Out of 21094 blood donors, 21 (0.099%) and 32 (0.15%) donors were HBsAg and HCV-Ab reactive respectively. No HIV-Ab reactive donors were detected. All of regular blood donors were negative from aspect of ELISA tests and non-regular blood donors were negative too. Out of 4419 first-time blood donors, 35 cases (0.16%) were HBsAg positive, meanwhile 8 (0.37%) donor of them were HCV-Ab positive, and all of first-time blood donors HIV-Ab were negative. The prevalence of blood-borne infections (hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV) were not found in regular and non-regular blood donors. The highest rates of infections were attributed to first-time donors.
Conclusion: Regular blood donation is one of the important steps in blood safety and due to several risk factors in blood donors, screening tests ELISA before blood donation are recommended in order to decrease prevalence of blood transmitted infections in first-time blood donors.