Blood transfusion practices and blood-banking services in a Kenyan hospital.

ABSTRACT

PIP: Between September 1990 and July 1991, health workers and/or laboratory personnel at Siaya District Hospital in rural western Kenya (about 60 km northwest of Kisumu) gathered data on 799 patients who received 927 blood transfusions, including blood donation, grouping, and HIV screening. Most blood recipients were children (under 15 years old). Only 6% of all recipients were men. Just 30% of transfusions were performed the day of request. Blood donors recruited when it was most needed for survival. Their blood tended to be available 3 days after the request. The volunteer donated blood tended to be available for transfusion the day of request, however, because it had already been banked and screened. Patient-recruited donors were more likely to be HIV infected than volunteer donors (13.4% vs. 4.6%; relative risk = 2.91; p .001). 47% of the pediatric transfusions should not have taken place because 23% of these children did not suffer respiratory distress and their hemoglobin levels were greater than t gm/dl and because 27% received the transfusion 2 days after the day of request. 90% of all adult transfusions were inappropriate (i.e., transfusion of no more than 1 unit of blood or received the transfusion 2 days after the day of request). 30% of blood units that had been banked and screened at the time of request were not transfused until at least 2 days after request. These findings identified those areas which must be targeted to improve the appropriate and timely use of blood and reducing transfusion-induced HIV transmission: reduction of inappropriate transfusions, increased recruitment of volunteer donors, and improved laboratory services.