F Abdalla1, O W Mwanda, F Rana. 1. Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, P.O. Box 19676, Nairobi, Kenya.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The non-remunerated donors in many of Kenya's hospital blood banks are either call responsive (CR) or walk-in (WI) donors. These donors impact differently on the national blood transfusion services. OBJECTIVE: To examine the walk-in (WI) and call responsive (CR) donors' influence on the national blood transfusion services. DESIGN: A retrospective study. SETTING: A national referral and a private hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Donor's age, sex, whether walk in or responded to a call to donate for a relative or emergency blood requirement and test results of; HIV, HBsAg, syphilis and HCV. RESULTS: Between April 1999 and April 2000, 10,295 persons donated blood either responding to a call or walked in. The national referral hospital had 8,563 (83%) and private hospital 1,732 (17%). In total, 2.5% were WI and 97.5% CR. The lowest age of donors were CR 15, and WI 18 years. Of 1,138 (11.1%) rejected were 4.6% WI and 11.2% CR donors. The infections 5.8% HIV, 4% HBSAg, 1.2% VDRL and 0.2% HCV were statistically significant in WI compared to CR (p=0.002), also in female compared to male donors (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: This study shows that walk in donors were fewer than call responsive but had less rates of transfusion associated infections.
BACKGROUND: The non-remunerated donors in many of Kenya's hospital blood banks are either call responsive (CR) or walk-in (WI) donors. These donors impact differently on the national blood transfusion services. OBJECTIVE: To examine the walk-in (WI) and call responsive (CR) donors' influence on the national blood transfusion services. DESIGN: A retrospective study. SETTING: A national referral and a private hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Donor's age, sex, whether walk in or responded to a call to donate for a relative or emergency blood requirement and test results of; HIV, HBsAg, syphilis and HCV. RESULTS: Between April 1999 and April 2000, 10,295 persons donated blood either responding to a call or walked in. The national referral hospital had 8,563 (83%) and private hospital 1,732 (17%). In total, 2.5% were WI and 97.5% CR. The lowest age of donors were CR 15, and WI 18 years. Of 1,138 (11.1%) rejected were 4.6% WI and 11.2% CR donors. The infections 5.8% HIV, 4% HBSAg, 1.2% VDRL and 0.2% HCV were statistically significant in WI compared to CR (p=0.002), also in female compared to male donors (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: This study shows that walk in donors were fewer than call responsive but had less rates of transfusion associated infections.