Aim and Objective: The aim of the study was to compare the reasons for blood donation and knowledge about blood donation among medical science undergraduate students. Materials and Methods: A random cross-sectional study was conducted among 500 government medical sciences' undergraduate students in Jamnagar during the period of 3 months (February 2017 to April 2017). It constitutes of MBBS, Dental, Ayurvedic, Physiotherapy, and Nursing College. A predesigned, pretested, self-administered questionnaire was devised to collect data. Data were collected after obtaining informed consent. Ethical clearance from the institute was obtained before the study. The results were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2007 database sheet, and percentage and Chi-square test were applied to calculate association between different variables with P value set as significant when <0.05. Results: The response was gathered from a total of 500 respondents who voluntarily participated in the study. Out of them, 31.52% (n = 165) males and 14.03% (n = 335) females donated blood in their lifetime. Among MBBS students, 90.19% (n = 1100) had shown a good level of knowledge (given a positive response), whereas dental, ayurvedic, physiotherapy, and nursing student respondents showed the same by 78.27%, 71.64%, 89.55%, and 76.27%, respectively. Among factors that hindered the study cases from donating blood, the most important was that they were never approached by anyone (52.2% - whenever required) for blood donation. Conclusion: The conclusion of the present study indicates a greater awareness among the medical and physiotherapy students in comparison to nursing, dental, and ayurvedic students. Hence, these sectors need more targeted attempts to increase awareness and motivation among these masses, which will eventually enable us to increase the spectrum of motivated donors among the common people population.

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Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and transfusion medicine go hand in hand. Transfusion medicine experts are involved in transplants, particularly hematopoietic stem cell transplant. A lot of clinical challenges such as febrile nonhemolytic transfusion reactions, transfusion-related acute lung injury, and also graft versus host disease are caused by HLA antibodies. It is a unique genetic system located on chromosome 6 and its protein products situated on white cells. Histocompatibility in transplant scenario is not the only function of HLA antigens but the main role is to present peptides to immune system and regulate cellular and humoral immunity. HLA Class I (A, B, and C) and HLA Class II (DR, DQ, and DP) antigens are different in structure and function. Typing methods have progressed from earlier serology-based techniques to sequence-based typing to next-generation sequencing. Cross matching techniques have also changed from complement-dependent cytotoxicity (which is still considered a gold standard) to microbead-based assay to flow cytometry. Finally, HLA and its disease association has long been established, particularly so in cases of ankylosing spondylitis.

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Thromboelastography (TEG) is a novel viscoelastic method which provides a comprehensive assessment of hemostasis from clot initiation and development to fibrinolysis involving both cellular and plasmatic components of hemostatic system. Apart from surgery its role is expanding into medical specialties with increasing integration into laboratory settings. TEG complements the conventional coagulation tests in assessment of bleeding disorders. Further hemotherapy based on TEG results has been shown to reduce transfusion requirements in varied clinical settings besides helping in identifying coagulopathies in patients with major bleedings. This review article addresses briefly the methodology, clinical applications, interpretation of TEG results including authors' own experience of TEG in different clinical scenarios and limitations of TEG. Overall, this technique seems to be helpful for evaluation of hypercoagulable state and in detecting fibrinolysis which are difficult to be detected with conventional coagulation tests. Kaolin activated citrated blood samples analyzed within 30-60 min of sampling can provide reliable results in a laboratory setting. However, multiple assays using different activators or modifiers may be required for accurate results in selected cases. The operator should be aware about the various preanalytical and analytical variables which can affect the results including limitations of this technique. The tracing of the thromboelastography should be interpreted cautiously taking into consideration the clinical picture of the patient and results of other laboratory tests. With improved model and availability of more assays it is hoped that TEG and other such hemostasis analyzers would bring in the paradigm shift in the hemostasis monitoring and treatment of patients in future.

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Background and Objectives: Crossmatching is one of the bases of pretransfusion testing. Resolving problems in crossmatching should be carried out after proper planning and following departmental guidelines, and hence that time is not wasted, or blood withheld from patient unnecessarily. The aim of this study was to find the prevalence and cause of incompatible crossmatch and to formulate root cause analysis to help ensure safe transfusion. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study conducted at a tertiary care hospital in North India, from December 2018 to November 2019. Request for blood components was received along with 2 ml labeled sample in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and plain tube. Crossmatching was done by column agglutination method in polyspecific (IgG + C3d) bead cards by ortho clinical diagnostic using semi-automated biovue. In case of any incompatible result, it was resolved using appropriate steps. Results: During the study period from December 2018 to November 2019, only 67 (0.65%) of the 10,320 samples received were found to be crossmatch incompatible and evaluated and appropriate donor units issued. The crossmatch incompatibility was much higher in the females (46, 68.7%) than the males (21, 31.3%). The direct antiglobulin test (DAT) was positive in nine patient samples, and the indirect antiglobulin test was found positive in 37 incompatible crossmatch units. Eleven cases of incompatible crossmatch were due to wrong blood in tube, seven due to contamination of reagents, and three due to DAT-positive donor units. Conclusion: In this study, alloimmunization (55.2%) was the most prevalent cause of incompatible crossmatch, and the most common alloantibody identified was anti-E. Incompatible crossmatch poses a challenge in the field of transfusion medicine. Root cause analysis is a systemic method for identifying all the contributing factors to a problem, so that the corrective action can be taken. A logical stepwise approach will enable the provision of safe transfusion.

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Review of literature and prevalent practices show the importance of red cell indices, especially hematocrit(HCT )in the diagnosis and prognosis of dengue. Platelet indices also may act as a tool to assess the prognosis and decide on the need for red cell and platelet transfusions in dengue. Platelet indices such as platelet count, mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), and plateletcrit (PCT) are simple indices which can be done by any 3-part differential cell counter. However, immature platelet fraction (IPF) can be done only at advanced centres using more advanced cell counters. In dengue fever, red cell indices give indirect information on whether the patient is bleeding or going into impending shock. An increased HCT suggests haemoconcentration and warrants treatment with bolus IV fluids while a decreased HCT in an unstable patient may indicate bleeding and act as a predictor for red cell transfusions, whereas it suggests recovery from disease in a stable patient. Platelet counts have no role in determining need for transfusion in dengue. Platelet indices give information on whether the platelet destruction is ongoing (necessitating an impending platelet transfusion) or whether the bone marrow is responsive and platelet transfusions can be put on hold. An increase MPV with falling platelets implies destruction of platelet and signals need for platelet transfusion while a decrease in MPV with low platelets <20,000/ul coupled with hemorrhagic tendency warrant need for red cell transfusions. An increase in IPF suggestive of responsive marrow and platelet transfusions could be possibly put on hold. Low platelet count, low MPV, low PCT, high PDW, and high P-LCR may be used as probable indicators for dengue in endemic area and also as a predictor of severity of dengue infection. However Platelet indices are still underutilised parameters both by the laboratory personnel as well as the clinicians due to various reasons like variability or lack of standardization in testing and reporting. Further platelet indices are not specific for (or predictive of) any particular pathological condition and large epidemiological, randomized, control studies are needed to establish utility of these parameters in dengue beyond doubt.

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Social marketing is the use of marketing principles and techniques to influence a target audience to voluntarily accept, reject, modify, or abandon a behaviour for the benefit of individuals, groups, or society as a whole. Voluntary Blood donation/Organ donation is an ongoing movement. World over, it is well recognised that collection of blood only from voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors from low- risk populations is an important measure for ensuring safe blood. There is also the problem in the realm of organ donation – due to the shortage of organs and donors for stem cells many thousands of patients are dying globally.The concept of social marketing will add donors to pool and help in overcoming deficiency over period of time.

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Coronavirus (CoV) disease-2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome-CoV-2. The disease started in 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has spread globally, resulting in a pandemic. Common symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Muscle pain, sputum production, and sore throat are less common symptoms. While the majority of cases result in mild symptoms, some progress to pneumonia and multiorgan failure. The deaths per number of diagnosed cases is estimated at between 1% and 5%, but varies by age and other health conditions. The infection is spread from one person to others via respiratory droplets, often produced during coughing and sneezing. It takes 2–14 days to develop symptoms from the day of exposure. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction from a nasopharyngeal swab or oropharyngeal swab is the standard method of diagnosis. The infection can also be diagnosed from a combination of symptoms, risk factors, and a chest computed tomography scan showing features of pneumonia. Measures recommended to prevent the disease include frequent hand washing, maintaining distance from other people, and not touching one's face. The use of masks is recommended for those who are suspected to have the virus and to their caregivers, but not the general public. As of now, there is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for COVID-19; management involves treatment of symptoms, supportive care, and experimental measures. The World Health Organization declared the 2019–2020 CoV outbreak a pandemic and a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

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Background: Errors occurring at patient bedside during specimen collection are the most common causes of adverse outcomes. We planned this prospective study to estimate the incidence and nature of transfusion errors, identify the source, site of occurrence, and assess the underlying problems in the system with the aim to prevent the potentially fatal human error. Materials and Methods: The study was performed over a period of 5 years at a hospital based blood transfusion service where all errors and discrepancies both in the recipient and donor samples were reported into an 'incident and error reporting register' and then analyzed. Results: While a total of 72,381 patient samples were received for pretransfusion testing, 43,762 samples were from blood donors for ABO and Rh grouping. A total of 79782 blood components were issued to patients during the study. Out of 229 errors in the blood transfusion chain, 164 (0.22% of total requisitions and 0.21% of total component issued) were reported in patient pretransfusion samples, and 65 errors (0.15%) were reported in donor samples. Majority of the errors were clerical in nature and related to human errors. Of the 164 errors in pretransfusion testing samples, 107 (65.2) were observed in night shift. The overall error frequency per 1000 requisitions was 2.26. Conclusion: Near miss event reporting can prevent potential transfusion associated mortality and morbidity caused by simple human ignorance. A good error reporting not only helps in accurate collection and analysis of data but also makes recommendations that improve transfusion safety.

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Background: Blood is precious and should be utilized judiciously with minimal wasting. By analyzing the data and the reasons for discard, the blood transfusion service can develop plans to evaluate causes that lead to discard of blood and its components and interventions that can be used to optimize their use by training and education. Aim: (1) The aim of the study was to evaluate causes that lead to discard of blood and its components and interventions that can be used to optimize their use by training and education, (2) to introduce possible strategies for minimizing blood wastage, and to observe and compare the discard rate after the implementation of strategies. Materials and Methods: The study of analysis on discard of blood and its products was carried out retrospectively from January 2014 to December 2016 (36-month period), and the data were collected from the blood bank database system using Easy Software in the Department of Transfusion Medicine, Shri M P Shah Govt. Medical College, Jamnagar in Western India. The results were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2007 database sheet, percentage calculated and Chi-square test was applied between different variables with P value set a significant when <0.05. Results: A total of 66,255 blood units were collected during the study period of 36 months. Out of 66,255 blood units collected, 44,617 were whole blood (WB) whereas components were prepared from remaining blood units. A total of 21,638 packed red blood cells (PRBCs), 6840 platelet concentrate (PC), and 14,372 fresh frozen plasma (FFP) were prepared. Average discard rate of the present study was 6.95%. Discard rate for WB, PRBC, PC, FFP was 3.15%, 2.26%, 28.39%, and 5.36%, respectively. Conclusion: To minimize wastage of blood, there should be proper implementation of blood transfusion policies and coordination between hospital and blood bank staff. Strict adherence to donor selection criteria, taking proper predonation history and counseling, software to identify transfusion transmitted infection (TTI) positive donors, and deferring suspected professional donors who have been screened previously may help in reducing discard due to TTI positivity. Process improvements such as technical expertise in phlebotomy, prevent red blood cells (RBC) contamination during platelet and FFP preparation, precaution during thawing of FFP to prevent leakage, and increased use of apheresis technique prevent wastage of blood components. Continued medical education for technical staff to maintain self-audit, tracking quality indicators of processing and preparation of the blood components, rational use of blood and components, and review the blood management system will further help in reducing the discard rate.

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Anti – Mia antibody is antibody reacting with Mi III phenotype of the Miltenberger (Mi) subsystem. It is rarely reported in the West, however, it is common in Chinese and South East Asian populations. Very few cases have been reported in India. Here, we report 4 cases of the Anti - Mia antibody picked up on antibody screening of samples (which was performed using Asia ID-Diacell I-II-III Asia (Mia +) 3 cell panel). Patients: In all the four cases, ICT was positive. Antibody screening and Identification was done with 3 cell panel (ID-Diacell I-II-III (Asia)) and 11 cell panel (ID-DiaPanel) respectively. Antibody screening showed reaction in “Asia” cell (carrying Mia Antigen) of 3 cell panel. Antibody identification by 11 cell panel was negative ruling out antibodies of Rh, Kell, Duffy, Kidd, Lewis, P, Lutheran and MNS systems. Reaction with the “Asia” cell suggested the presence of Anti-Mia antibody which was confirmed by obtaining the same result when screening was repeated with 2 different lots of 3 cell panel. Discussion and Conclusion: The Miltenberger (Mi) subsystem comprises of a group of phenotypes of red cells that carry low frequency antigens associated with the MNSs blood group system. The Anti- Mia antibody was first described in 1951 in the serum of Mrs Miltenberger. Anti- Mia antibody is clinically significant and can cause Hemolytic disease of newborn (HDN) and mild to moderate haemolytic transfusion reactions (HTR). Most of the antibody screening and identification panels used in India are imported and represent the Western population. They do not have representation of the Mia antigen on their red cells. This leads to missing out of the Anti- Mia antibody which may cause HDN and HTR leading to significant consequences. Thus, the Mia antigen should be incorporated in our screening panels.

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Altruism, warm glove, kinship and a sense of duty are the primary driving forces behind blood donation. The concept of donor cycle starts with donor recruitment and ends with donor retention and recall or with notification of sero-reactive donors. Donor Selection criteria vary from country to country and from region to region. Blood donor counseling is a confidential dialogue between the donor and a trained counselor aimed at ensuring the safety of donors and health of recipients. Predonation counseling covers modes of transmission of HIV, tests carried out on donated blood, confidentiality of test results, information on alternate testing sites and confidential self exclusion. Counseling during donation helps allay fears and is likely to reduce the incidence of adverse reactions in the donor. Post donation counselling aims at educating the donors on the interval between donations, care of the phlebotomy site, special instructions in case of adverse events and specific instructions depending on their job, besides nutritional /medical advice to deferred donors. Posttest counseling and notification of reactive donors is essential for the health of the donor and his family, prevention of diseases, improving blood bank economy by avoiding wastage of blood, and reducing exposure to healthcare workers. Problems in notification are diverse. It creates donor anxiety and suicidal tendencies in some. The kits used in a blood centre may give false positive results. NAT reactivity, with sero-negativity further compounds the problem. Response rate to notification is often poor. All these have made donor notification a boon for the community, but a bane for blood donors and blood centers. Every country must evolve specific guidelines for donor notification. This paper discusses Indian Guidelines for Blood donor counseling and sero-reactive Donor Notification.

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Background: Pre-transfusion compatibility testing is performed in order to prevent transfusion of incompatible donor red cells that might result in an immune mediated hemolytic transfusion reaction, thereby forming a critical element in the process of transfusion to enhance blood safety. Titers are generally determined with a semi-quantitative assay by serial double-fold dilution. Several different techniques have been employed for titration, of which the conventional tube test (CTT) and column gel card test –Column Agglutination Technique (CAT) are the most frequently used. Historically, CTT has been used as the standard technique for immunohaematological studies, such as direct antihuman globulin test for the diagnosis of autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and in screening for specific antibodies in transfusion medicine. Study Design and Methods: For this study, 51 plasma samples from donors were subjected to antibody titration using the two techniques CAT and CTT. For the purpose of standardization and reproducibility of results, all 51 samples were tested by two technicians and the results obtained were a total of 70 antibody titers. Dilutions were continued to a titer of 1:1024 with the aim of allowing for at least two negative tubes beyond the titer end-point. The statistical analysis of the data has been done in MS-Excel. Results: Out of the 70 titer samples, 57 samples showed identical titer values in the methods performed by both the technicians. 8 samples showed titer values higher in Technician 2 by one dilution as compared to Technician 1, whereas 5 samples showed titer values lower in Technician 2 when compared to Technician 1 (one dilution low in 4 samples and two dilutions low in 1 sample). Conlcusion: CAT titers demonstrated up to a twofold difference as compared to CTT titres, as demonstrated in the figures presented. This disparity is not unusual and can be attributed to the lack of standardization which can be reduced by Column Agglutination Technology. CAT uses specific volumes of red blood cells and the reagents are dispensed by pipettes. Also, the procedure is technically simpler due to the elimination of washing steps and results in well-defined end points. Column Agglutination Technique offers not only sensitivity, but also the best titer turnaround time, eliminating almost 45 minutes of incubation period alone. The results of testing by CAT are comparable to CTT but have the advantages of ease of performance, better standardization of cells, most importantly stable results and reproducibility. Implementation of antibody titers by the gel method would clinically benefit the management of ABO incompatible solid-organ transplant patients.

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The normal color of plasma is yellow, which is owing to the presence of factors such as bilirubin, hemoglobin, carotenoids, and iron transferrin. We recently came across an interesting case of greenish colored plasma in our blood bank. An extensive literature survey revealed that our conspicuous finding was not an isolated one and that similar such rare incidents have been reported in the past, on a sporadic basis. Several diverse reasons have been attributed to the peculiar greenish color like the presence of high ceruloplasmin levels, Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection and so on, but they were ruled out in our case. We thus, report our finding of greenish colored plasma in an otherwise healthy donor because of the rarity of its occurrence and also, to allay any sense of fear or alarm that an encounter may raise in the blood bank staff.

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Despite the current advances in technology in health-care delivery, access to safe blood and blood products and their judicious use remains a big challenge. There is a stark difference between developed and developing nations as less than half of hospitals in developing nation provide blood transfusion services. While the health sector in India has made outstanding accomplishments in the past few decades, it has not reciprocated sufficiently to fulfil the country's objective on blood transfusion facilities. Indian blood transfusion network is plagued by inadequacy of blood storage centers, dominance of private sector over public sectors, lack of proper facilities, storage & quality of services etc. Revamping blood transfusion system is the basic necessity to provide basic care. The challenges to overcome such hindrances may be unification of blood transfusion services to maintain the standard or duplication of services, focus on quality of service provided, adoption of newer technologies, strengthening of reporting and information system to maintain the inventory, emphasis on equitable distribution blood and blood products and many more. These changes can be made through framing a strong policy, functional planning and setting standards.

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Platelet transfusion support is extensively required for hemato-oncology patients who are multiply transfused. Platelet refractoriness can represent a significant clinical condition that complicates the platelet transfusion support in such patients. It remains a challenge associated with an increased bleeding risk, longer hospital stays, and increased morbidity and mortality. Causes for refractoriness are broadly divided into nonimmune and immune causes. Approximately two-thirds of refractory episodes are due to nonimmune factors while one-third are due to immune factors. Common formulae to assess platelet refractoriness include corrected count increment (CCI), posttransfusion platelet increment, and percentage platelet recovery. Measurement of CCI is one of the best parameters to differentiate between immune and nonimmune causes. In nonimmune factors which are associated with increased platelet consumption, treating the underlying cause and increasing the frequency of transfusion should be considered. However, in immune factors which are due to increased destruction of platelets owing to alloimmunization, other strategies such as ABO-identical/ABO-compatible fresh platelets, human leukocyte antigen-matched platelets, and crossmatched platelet transfusions should be considered. The newer approach includes epitope-matched platelet transfusion which is still in amateur stage. The strategies in the prevention of alloimmunization include leukoreduction of blood components, reducing donor exposure by providing single-donor platelets, and providing ABO-compatible platelets from the beginning of the treatment. This review will address the causes of platelet refractoriness and practical approach to the diagnosis, management, and its prevention.

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Introduction: Although CDC has been the gold standard for many years, this assay is certainly not perfect and its use is associated with several problems. The Luminex anti-HLA antibody detection assay is reportedly more sensitive and specific. One of the test is Luminex DSA cross match which is more sensitive than CDC cross match. It is also considered cost effective tool to evaluate pre and post renal transplant cases. Material and Methods: We started Luminex based Donor specific antibody Cross Match tests (DSA Xm) with lysate by the end of 2009 along with CDC after standardization. This study is planned to evaluate the results of DSA Xm of last three years & also to observe antibody medicated rejections after renal transplant. Results: Total 3137 Luminex DSA Cross Match tests were done & 515 tests were positive cross match with negative CDC xm result. Out of 515 positive results 164 were positive for class I, 223 were positive for class II and 128 were positive for both class I & II. In the three years total 1129 renal transplants were done at various centers and total 42 cases of Antibody medicated rejections were reported. Out of 42 patients, 36 patients had pre transplant history of CDC negative & Luminex DSA xm positive. Conclusion: We evaluated our three year results of DSA Xm test and found a cost effective, sensitive and useful supplementary test to evaluate pre and post renal transplant cases.

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With the introduction of anti-D prophylaxis, the incidence of RhD alloimmunization in pregnancy has been significantly reduced. RhD remains the most common cause of hemolytic disease of fetus and newborn (HDFN). Next to anti-D, anti-K and anti-c have been implicated in severe HDFN. Hereby, we report a case of Kell alloimmunization in pregnancy which is a leading cause of HDFN worldwide. This case highlights the need for tertiary care hospitals to establish a well-defined protocol for the management of Kell alloimmunization in antenatal females. Most commonly, Kell alloimmunization is secondary to previous transfusions, and hence, every attempt should be made for primary prevention, i.e., Rh-Kell-matched transfusions for women of reproductive age group.

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Background: It is well-known that alloimmunization to red blood cell antigens resulting from the genetic disparities between donor and recipient is one of the risks of blood transfusion. The antibody screening cells are used to detect unexpected antibodies. The risk of alloimmunization is higher in patients who have received multiple blood transfusions such as thalassemia, other hematological disorders, renal failure patients on dialysis who receive blood transfusions, and females with bad obstetric history. Antibody screening test using 2–3 cells panel is not a mandatory pretransfusion testing in India and is performed routinely in limited blood centers. Materials and Methods: This bicentric study has been carried out to look at prevalence of antibodies in multi-transfused patients who have higher risks of alloimmunization such as patients who have received multiple blood transfusions such as thalassemia, other hematological disorders, renal failure patients on dialysis who receive blood transfusions, and females with bad obstetric history in the North as well as South India. The study was conducted at two blood centers, one regional blood transfusion of North India and one at South India. Totally, 4569 cases were analyzed and 258 patients were selected for antibody screening and identification. Results: Of total 4569 patients, 258 multi-transfused patients were studied. Among these, seven patients (2.71%) were found alloimmunized. The risk of alloimmunization was 2.90% in thalassemia, 0% in chronic renal failure patients, 3.77% in pregnant females with bad obstetric history, and 2.78% in other multi-transfused patients like cancer. Discussion: Regular monitoring through antibody screening and transfusion of blood matched for minor erythrocyte antigens are recommended in these patients.

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Background: The ABO blood groups are determined by forward grouping on red cells and are confirmed by reverse grouping on serum, both of which must tally to assign proper blood group to an individual. Any anomaly in blood group must resolve before transfusion. Aim: A patient with anomalous blood grouping required to be investigated as pretransfusion tests. Materials and Methods: ABO blood grouping protocol was followed. The patient's red blood cells (RBCs), showing mixed-field reaction, were separated into those showing agglutination from other remaining nonagglutinated RBCs by selective adsorption using anti-A1 lectin and subsequently disagglutinated by incubating with soluble salivary antigen from Group A secretor individual. Results: Of the two RBCs populations, one that was agglutinated by the lectin showed considerably stronger agglutination with anti-A antibody as compared to those that were not agglutinated. Conclusion: Weakened red cell A antigen was presumed to be due to underlying disease process in acute leukemia.

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Background: Besides all other measures like predonation donor screening and testing for transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) on donated blood, another tool for preventing disease transmission by transfusion is to inform and counsel reactive donors about the status of TTIs reactivity and prevent them for donating blood in future. Materials and Methods: The present observational study was carried out in blood bank of Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion at a Tertiary Care Government Hospital in South Gujarat over a period of 3 years involving total 25,020 donors including 353 reactive donors. The reactive donors were informed by the blood bank counselor about an abnormal test result with an advice to report to the blood bank for one-to-one counseling and repeat testing, as well as for referral to the respective department/integrated counseling and testing center/sexually transmitted disease clinics of the hospital for further management. The response rate of TTIs reactive donors after notification of their abnormal test results was evaluated. Results: Of the 353 TTIs marker-reactive donors, 320 (90.65%) reactive donors could be contacted and of which 261 (81.56%) responded positively to the notification calls and attended counseling at the blood bank and 59 (18.44%) informed donors did not respond at all. Conclusions: In the study, due to incorrect or changed contact details, 33 (9.35%) reactive donors could not be contacted and among 59 nonresponded reactive donors, the major reasons were donor's busy schedule, out of city residence, and not willing to visit the blood bank again.

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Introduction: Leukoreduced (LR) blood components are used for the prevention of several transfusion adverse effects. Advancement in technology has led to newer methods to count residual leukocytes (rWBC) which miss detection on most standard automated hematology analyzers. Materials and Methods: Samples from thirty eight platelet concentrates (prepared by Buffy-coat method) were randomly taken on the day of preparation for rWBC count using Nageotte's chamber and flowcytometer. Results: The rWBC count on Nageotte's ranged from 2.5 WBC/μL to a maximum of 600 WBC/μL where as the flowcytometric count had a lowest of 1.97 WBC/μL to a highest of 740 WBC/μL. We found that the WBC counts using the Nageotte's method and flowcytometeric method are highly correlated. The concordance correlation coefficient or intraclass correlation coefficient which is a measure of reliability was 0.78 Conclusion: In view of the high concordance in correlation coefficient between the two methods, Nageotte's method could be skillfully performed for assessing leukoreduction in LR platelet concentrates of resource constrained blood banks of developing nations.

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The mortality of massive blood transfusion is very high ranging from 34% - 40% . Only 60 % of patients receiving more than ten packed red blood cells units within the first 24 hours have survived. We share our experience with massive blood transfusion in which seventy units of blood and blood products were transfused in 24 hours following massive transfusion protocol. To conclude each institute should have massive transfusion protocol to improve the clinical outcome of the patient. Anaesthetist should be aware about local resources and should ensure early communication with laboratory, haematologist and blood bank. In view of cost, increased demand, urgency, availability and risk of infections, blood substitutes are of great concern specially in developing countries. This case study also emphasizes on future research to make blood substitute with more similarities and minimum complication to replace donated blood.

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Background and Aim: Platelet transfusion plays an important role in the treatment of hematological, oncological, surgical, and transplant patients. Aphaeresis technology is widely available in the world and some part of India, but it is new for our region. The present study aims at various aspects of plateletpheresis including donor safety, donor hematological changes following single donor platelet (SDP) donation, quality of product, and impact on patient following SDP transfusion. Materials and Methods: Preprocedural hematological count such as total platelet count (TPC), hemoglobin, red blood cells, and white blood cells count was recorded. All donors were observed for adverse donor reactions. Postdonation (after 30 min) sample was drawn to see the hematological parameters and compared to that of pre donation hematological parameters. Quality control of all SDP products was done. All recipients were observed for any transfusion reactions. Post 24 h transfusion sample was obtained from the SDP recipient and compared to that of pretransfusion sample to see the platelet increment. Results: A total of 135 plateletpheresis procedures were performed on cell separator. SDP was collected from the donors as per standard operating procedure. All donors were observed for adverse donor reaction. We found an adverse event with one donor. There was decrease in mean value of all hematological parameters in the postdonation sample. There was no thrombocytopenia either clinically or from laboratory value. Similar trend was seen with double yield collection. Mean acid citrate dextrose (ACD) used was 328, mean blood volume processed 3385 ml, mean product volume was 249 ml, mean time was 76.8 min during the procedure. Quality control of all SDP products was done. Mean yield was found to be 4.18 ± 0.95 × 10¹¹ per unit. A positive correlation was seen between pre TPC of donor and product yield. Post 24 h transfusion sample was obtained from the SDP recipient and compared to that of pretransfusion sample to see the platelet increment. We observed mean increment of platelet count to be 76.15 × 10⁹/L. Overall therapeutic benefit was observed in all cases. Conclusion: The study found that plateletpheresis procedure is very safe from donor point of view and SDP product is effective from recipient's point of view.

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