Decoding the Dynamics of the Distribution of Blood Components in a Tertiary Care Rural Hospital

A BSTRACT Background and Objective: Component therapy has a significant advantage over the administration of whole blood. More than one patient can benefit from blood donated by a single donor. Aims: The purpose of this study was to analyze the pattern of utilization of blood components in a blood center at a tertiary care rural hospital. Settings and Design: This was a retrospective study. Ethical clearance was obtained before the commencement of the study. Materials and Methods: Archival data on the clinical profiles of patients and the components requested were retrieved. Statistical Analysis Used: The results were tabulated on MS Excel software version 2304. Results: In a five-year period, 5137 requisition forms were analyzed. The mean age was 37 years. Females in the 21-to-30-year age group predominated (53%). The mean pretransfusion hemoglobin was 7.4 g/dl. The Department of Medicine requested the greatest number of blood components (38%) of which 81% were packed red blood cells (PRBC). The most common indication for transfusion was anemia (21.73%). There was a sharply increasing trend in the use of PRBC over the study period. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the utilization of blood components by the clinical departments at a tertiary care rural hospital. Deliberation on the various methods of optimizing blood component usage and formulation of a management plan according to the trends and future forecasts is warranted. Hence, a periodic review of blood component usage is essential to assess the blood utilization pattern.