A Study of Analysis of Reasons for Pre - Donation Deferrals Among Whole Blood Donors at A Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in North Karnataka – An Institutional Experience

Background: The safety of blood donors forms a crucial component for safe blood transfusion services. The policies that govern donor eligibility form an integral part of blood safety which is designed to ensure selection of healthy donors and also to protect recipients. Donor deferral as a result of risk factors is a standard practice worldwide. Objective: The aim of our study is to analyse the different reasons of blood donor deferrals. Donors who are deferred generally have negative attitude towards blood donation process and in future, these donors are less likely to return for donation. Retention of the temporarily deferred donors can be achieved to a great extent by analysing the various reasons for deferrals and eliminating the causes wherever possible. Methods: This was a single-centre, retrospective study which was conducted at the blood bank of a tertiary care teaching hospital in North Karnataka from 1st January 2022 to 30th November 2024. It involved donors who donated blood at the blood bank as well as at outdoor blood donation camps. These donors were evaluated by the medical officer in – charge and were deferred during different stages of evaluation (Stage 1- History taking, Stage 2- Physical examination and Stage 3- Haemoglobin estimation). Individuals who did not fulfil the criteria for donation were deferred with reason being documented in the deferral register, from which data was retrieved for study. Results: In our study, 344 (8.92%) of donors were deferred from blood donation of the total 3855 blood donors. Most of the deferrals were temporary while few were permanent. Majority of the deferred donors were in the age of 18 – 30 years. Deferral rate was high among females compared to males. High blood pressure among potential donors was the most common cause for temporary deferral whereas donors who are diagnosed with diabetes on medication was the most common cause for permanent deferral. Conclusion: Temporarily deferred donors were higher than permanently deferred donors. Most studies indicate high percentage of donor deferrals due to temporary reasons. Identifying the reasons and frequency of donor deferral aids in preventing loss of precious blood units by helping to retain the donor pool.