Ashwini Kolur
Background: Blood transfusion presently plays a key role in the management of medical and surgical patients. Large number of lives can be saved by using safe blood transfusion practices. Unsafe blood transfusion can be resulting in transfusion transmitted infection. There are very limited studies have been conducted in the coastal region of the Karnataka.
Methods: Hence the present study was done to evaluate the prevalence of TTIs among the blood donors of Karwar Medical College Blood Bank, Karwar.
Results: A total of 3183 donors were screened over 4 ½ years to assess the prevalence of infectious disease markers. On completion of blood donation, the units were screened for the five commonest TTIs namely HIV I and II, HBsAg, HCV syphilis and malaria. Out of the total donors, 3081 were Male donors, 102 were female and all were voluntary donors. 83.74% of the blood donors were in the age group of 18–39 years. 17 were seropositive for the transfusion transmitted infection, giving the percentage of 0.53%. Out of the 17 seropositive units 14 blood units were positive for HBV, 2 for Syphilis and 1 for malaria.
Conclusion: It is noted in many studies that percentage of TTIs are less in voluntary donors when compared to replacement donors. Seroprevalence of TTIs in our study was law, it may be attributed to the voluntary blood donors as all the blood donors in our study were voluntary donors.