TRANSFUSION TRANSMISSIBLE INFECTIONS AMONG HEALTHY BLOOD DONORS AT BLOOD BANK FROM CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL & INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH LAHORE

Transfusion Transmissible Infections

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of HIV, HBV, HCV, syphilis and malaria in blood donors at Children Hospital & Institute of Child Health (ICH), Lahore and compare with other local and international published data.
Study Design: Descriptive study.
Place and Duration of Study: This was conducted at the blood bank of Children’s Hospital and ICH, Lahore from October 2015 to February 2016.
Patient and Methods: All adult male blood donors who had donated blood during above mentioned period, between 18 to 55 years of age were included in this study. Each and every donor was subjected to a predetermined, prepared questionnaire to find out their eligibility for donation. All blood donors’ serum samples were screened for HBsAg, Anti-HCV, syphilis, HIV and malaria by immuno chromatography technique according to manufacturer instruction.
Results: Statistical analysis showed that out of 10,048 blood donors, 7.94% (n=798) were infected with any one of the above mentioned diseases and 92.05% (n=9,250) had no infection. The overall frequency of HBsAg, HCV, HIV, syphilis and malaria were found to be 1.59%, 3.75%, 0.11%, 2.08% and 0.39% respectively. The co-infections of HCV + Syphilis, HBsAg + HCV, HBsAg + Syphilis, HCV + malarial parasite (M.P) and HBsAg + HIV + syphilis was 0.12%, 0.11%, 0.01% and 0.0099% respectively.
Conclusion: There is a decreasing trend of HBsAg, HCV infections but increasing trend of HIV and syphilis infections in blood donors that is an alarming situation.