Seroprevalence of transfusion transmitted infections in healthy blood donors in a tertiary care hospital in Puducherry

Abstract

Introduction: Blood transfusion is both a life saving measure in many medical and surgical emergencies and a source of transfusion transmitted infections. So a provision for strict criteria in recruitment and deferral of blood donors may improve safe transfusion practice. The aim of the study was to estimate the trend in seroprevalence of TTI s among blood donors of both voluntary and replacement donors at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Puducherry, India. Material and Methods: A retrospective study was performed from January 2010 to December 2019 in a blood bank of a tertiary care hospital. A total of 21147 blood units which were collected from both voluntary and replacement donors during the study period were included. Data was analyzed from blood bank records, pertaining to all donors who were screened for HBs Ag, Hepatitis C virus and HIV by using appropriate methods. Results: Out of 21147 blood donors, 514 were positive for TTI s. The overall prevalence of HIV, HBV, HCV and Syphilis was found to be 0.04%, 1.88%, 0.06% and 0.42% respectively. The highest percentage of prevalence was observed for HBV, followed by syphilis, HCV and HIV. Conclusion: Adhering the strict donor eligibility criteria and high sensitive screening methods with effective counselling can decrease the prevalence of TTI’s and help in preventing further transmission of infections in the community.