Assessment of Blood Transfusion Practices in Healthcare Institutions Across Abia State, Nigeria

A bstract Background: Blood transfusion is essential to modern healthcare, yet practices vary across institutions. Objectives: To evaluate the blood transfusion practices in healthcare institutions across Abia State, Nigeria, focusing on institutional characteristics, blood group distribution, blood component availability, and blood storage and cross-matching equipment. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 13 health institutions in Abia State, Nigeria. Data from blood transfusion units and records covering January to June 2022 were collected using pretested, semi-structured questionnaires, and blood bank records. Descriptive and categorical variables were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Results: The study found that 84.6% (n = 11) of the institutions were secondary healthcare facilities. None of the facilities had a multispecialty transfusion service, and 100% lacked a transfusion committee. Fifteen point four (15.4%) had an existing quality policy on blood issues, and none had a quality officer. Group O-positive blood was the most common (77.21%), while 7.69% of institutions had a voluntary blood recruitment unit. Blood components, like packed cells, platelets, and cryoprecipitate, were unavailable in all the institutions. Equipment, such as standard blood banks (30%), domestic freezers (23%), and blood agitators (7.5%), were inadequately available, and most cross-matching was conducted using saline at room temperature (85%). Conclusion: Blood transfusion practices across Abia State healthcare institutions face significant challenges, including inadequate staff, poor blood component availability, and lack of essential storage equipment. Improved infrastructure and adherence to transfusion policies are necessary to enhance the quality of transfusion services in Abia state, Nigeria.