Evaluation Of Blood Component Request And Ultrasound In Maiduguri North Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Lives can be saved through blood and blood component transfusions. However, people still die or remain at risk of transfusion-transmissible infections due to poor donor recruitment and selection, use of poorly screened blood and inappropriate use of blood and blood components.
Objectives: To evaluate the pattern of blood component request and utilisation in north eastern Nigeria.
Setting: Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Northeastern Nigeria.
Results: A total of 1097 blood component was requested for transfusion. Out of these, 1066 were used and 31 were returned and later discarded due to contamination. The commonest prescribed blood type was whole blood (81.1%) Blood used was higher for obstetrics and gynaecological cases and least for paediatric surgical cases. The number of patients transfused with only one unit of blood constitutes 49.3%. The proportion of donor category was 47.3% for directed or family replacement, 39.7% for commercial or paid donors, 12.2% for predeposit autologous donors and only 0.8% for voluntary donors.
Conclusion: This study has shown that family replacement and paid donors, which are associated with high prevalence of transfusion-transmissible infections, still provide most of the blood components used in this environment.


Keywords: Blood component requests, Northeastern Nigeria., transfusion.

Highland Medical Research Journal Vol. 5 (1) 2007 pp. 28-32