ESTIMATE THE SEROPREVALENCE OF TTI IN BLOOD DONORS AND COLLATE THE RISK OF TTI BETWEEN VOLUNTARY DONORS AND REPLACEMENT DONORS

Introduction: The goal of BTS (Blood Transfusion Service) is to provide safe and quality blood and blood products to needy patients. In developing and underdeveloped countries, there exists a gap between the demands and supply of blood products. Since 100% voluntary blood donation is not achieved, we rely on replacement donors also. Hence this study was attempted to assess the seroprevalence of TTI (transfusion-transmitted infection) in blood donors and to compare the seroreactivity rate between voluntary and replacement donors. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was done on the blood donors over the period of 4 years from January 2020 to December 2023 in a tertiary care hospital. Donor samples were screened for the five mandatory TTIs, viz., HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), HBV (hepatitis B virus), HCV (hepatitis C virus), syphilis, and malaria. Results: A declining trend in HBV was evident from 2020 to 2023. Prevalence of syphilis was highest in 2022. No marked change noted with HIV and HCV. The TTI rate in non-remunerated voluntary blood donors (NRVBD) was 1.06%, and in replacement donors (RD) it was 1.04%. No statistical significance found between the NRVBD and RD with regard to seroprevalence of HIV, HBV, HCV, and syphilis or overall prevalence of TTI. Conclusion: Replacement or Unpaid family donors can be accepted by following strict donor criteria, thorough pre-donation counseling, promotion of self-exclusion of donors with high-risk behavior, and practicing more sensitive TTI screening techniques.