Uncovered Transfusion Needs in Obstetrics at the District Hospital of Niono in Mali

Introduction: Worldwide, the demand for blood exceeds the supply. Transfusion services face the constant challenge of providing sufficient supplies of quality blood products. The objective of this study was to analyze this gap between demand and supply in the Obstetrics service. Methodology: this is a prospective cross-sectional study carried out in the maternity ward of the Niono district hospital during the 1st semester of 2020. The study population was composed of patients admitted with an obstetric complication requiring a transfusion request not made or partially satisfied. Results: 125/196 patients (63.78%) had a blood request that was unmet or partially met. 220/588 units of blood requested were not served; or 37%. These unmet needs concerned patients who were mainly housewives (98%), unschooled in 87% and residing in rural areas in 89% of cases. 85% of patients had a hemoglobin level below 7g/dl before the blood transfusion. Out of stock was the reason for unmet requests in 88% of cases. 2 cases of death were recorded among the 125 patients, a rate of 1.6%.