Analysis of blood donor deferral pattern at a tertiary care hospital blood center
Vidhi Jain, Devanshi Prashantbhai GosaiAbstract
Introduction:
Donor selection is essential for ensuring transfusion safety and protecting donor health, but donor deferral reduces the available donor pool and can affect blood supply. Analysis of deferral patterns helps identify preventable causes and improve donor retention strategies. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the prevalence, pattern, and causes of blood donor deferral at a tertiary care hospital blood center in Vadodara, Gujarat, and to examine deferral in relation to donor gender and age.
Materials and Methods:
A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital blood center from January to December 2025. Records of all prospective donors screened during the period were reviewed (complete enumeration). Deferrals were categorized as temporary or permanent according to the National Blood Transfusion Council and National AIDS Control Organisation guidelines. Demographic variables and causes of deferral were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test, with
Results:
Among 8750 prospective donors screened, 675 were deferred (overall deferral rate 7.7%). Temporary deferrals constituted 83.85% of cases and permanent deferrals 16.15%. Low hemoglobin was the most common temporary cause (31.8%), followed by recent tattooing and medication use. Uncontrolled hypertension and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were the leading permanent causes. Female donors, though only 2.6% of registrants, showed a markedly higher deferral rate than males (67.8% vs. 6.1%), predominantly because of anemia. The type of deferral (temporary vs. permanent) did not differ significantly by gender (Chi-square = 1.87;
Conclusions:
Most donor deferrals were temporary and potentially reversible. Anemia was the leading cause of rejection, particularly among female donors. Early screening, iron supplementation, nutritional counseling, and donor education may reduce preventable deferrals and improve donor retention.
The following core competencies are addressed in this article: Medical Knowledge, Practice-Based Learning and Improvement, Systems-Based Practice.