Causes of Donor Blood Wastage in a Blood Centre from a Tertiary Care Hospital, Tirupati, India: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: The transfusion of blood and blood components are an essential therapeutic intervention and at present India’s blood requirement is about 9 to 9.5 million units per year. But blood banks in India are able to collect only about 5 to 5.5 million units per year. The causes of donor blood wastage are classified into shelf life expiry, seroreactivity, Quantity Not Sufficient (QNS), broken bags, lipaemic, dispensed but not transfused. Based on previous studies the discarding rate is ranging from 4.3 to 26.6%. Aim: To evaluate the causes of donor blood wastage in a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study included all the blood units received in the blood bank of Sri Venkateswara Ramnarayan Ruia Government General Hospital (SVRRGGH) for a period of six months (July 2024 to December 2024). Causes of discarded blood were analysed based on shelf life expiry, serological positivity and QNS. The results were analysed in the form of rates and percentages. Results: The total number of 3,761 blood units were collected during the study period, of which 347 (10.1%) units of whole blood and its components were discarded during the study period. Shelf life expiry 254 (73%) followed by seroreactivity 60 (17%) units were the two most common causes of discarding the blood and blood components. Conclusion: Regular screening for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) by rapid tests before bleeding decreases the wastage by deferring the donor. To arrange near expiry blood units in front shelves of refrigerator, regular audit of blood issue and discard by hospital transfusion committee to be done to minimise the wastage.