Main Article Content
Ten years of preoperative autologous blood donation in Accra
Abstract
Methods Data from existing records of patients who had participated in PABD were collated and analyzed Results Five hundred and forty six (546) females and 89 males participated, with ages ranging between
14-74 years. Majority of the patients (76.7%) underwent gynaecological surgery. A total of 330 (52%) donated one unit only, and 299 (47.1%) donated two units. Majority of the patients
(56.4%) had the surgery at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH). Of the donations, 21 (3.3%), 1 (0.2%), 1 (0.3%) and nil were positive
for HBV, HIV I & II, HCV and VDRL respectively. A total of 848 (89.4%) autologous crossmatched units were issued out. There was a steady progressive increase in participation. Conclusion Mainly adult females scheduled for gynaecological surgeries in KBTH participated,
while almost equal proportions donated one or two units of blood which meets the blood needs of most elective surgeries. Therefore healthy patients going for elective surgeries in regions with limited blood supply must be encouraged to enter a PABD Programme. Further studies in this field should evaluate motivational factors for participation