Critical appraisal clarifies operational definitions of blood discard and wastage, suggesting metrics. Improved reporting may enhance public confidence in transfusion services.
Background Blood centres, as part of their routine operations, generate various forms of waste during the collection‐to‐transfusion continuum. However, not all discarded blood components equate to ‘wastage’. Methods A critical technical appraisal distinguishing blood discard (necessary and regulatory‐compliant) from blood wastage (preventable and avoidable) was done. Results We propose clear operational definitions and introduce refined metrics such as blood discard rate (BDR), blood wastage rate (BWR) and total discard rate (TDR) to ensure accurate reporting. The concept of ‘all‐cause blood discard’ encompassing both justified discards and true wastage is emphasised. Conclusion Misinterpretation of data on discarding as wastage by technical personnel, policymakers, media and the public at large can lead to a trust deficit in transfusion services. Adoption of these distinctions and metrics will improve transparency, resource management and public confidence in blood services.
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Kumar et al. (2025) studied this question.
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