EVALUATION OF WHOLE BLOOD AND BLOOD COMPONENTS DISCARD IN A GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL – A TERTIARY CARE HEALTH FACILITY

Objectives: There is no artificial substitute for blood to date. The discard of blood and its components remains a persistent challenge for maintaining adequate blood inventory. The present study was conducted to analyze the various reasons for discarding whole blood (WB) and blood components in a blood bank attached to a tertiary care setup. It is also intended to introduce various possible strategies for minimizing blood wastage. Methods: A retrospective study of 3 years with effect from January 2021 to December 2023 was carried out and data were collected from records available with the blood center. Results: During this study, a total of 16874, 22590, and 22676 blood units were collected during 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively. It was observed that out of the total collection of 62140 units, 1686 (2.71%) were discarded as WB+Packed red blood cells. The discard rate for platelets and fresh frozen plasma was 45.4% and 10.9%, respectively. The various reasons for discard were seropositivity, expiry, suboptimal volume, non-utilization after issue, red cell contamination, lipemia, leakage, and hemolysis. Conclusion: To minimize discard of blood and its components, a multifaceted approach is required. It includes improving blood collection practices, proper storage and processing techniques, regular audits, following first in first out policy, and rational use of blood and its components.