Scientific Journal of

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 Abstract

  

 Background and Objectives

  Blood transmitted infections have always made problems in the use of blood and blood products. In this study, the prevalence of hepatitis B, C and HIV and relevant factors were evaluated among regular and non-regular donors in Arak Blood Center in the first six months of the year 1383 (2004).

  

  Materials and Methods

  11615 donors of Arak Blood Transfusion Center were selected. The required data were gathered by reviewing donor forms. Finaly, the subjects divided into regular and non-reguler donors according to demographic properties were compared. Results were analyzed based on Fisher Exact Test and Logistic Regression in spss software.

  

 Results

  40% of donors were regular and 60% non-regular. According to confirmed tests, prevalence of HBV, HCV and HIV were 0.68% , 0.2% and 0% in blood donors. These fiqures were 0.1%, 0.02% and 0% in regular donors and 0.05%, 0.45% and 0% in non-regular donors respectively. 1.4% of all blood donations were discarded for being positive in Elisa tests this rate is 111 times higher among non-regular donors. In this study viral infections in non-regular donors had more prevalence (p<0.0001) prevalence of these infections in regular donors was higher among men and lower in employees (p<0.05) as tested by Elisa. The results for both groups of subjects were higher in mobile units (p<0.05). Prevalence of infections was lower among non-regular donors as appeared in confirmed tests in subjects with bachelor degree or higher (p<0.05).

  

 Conclusions

  Prevalence of viral infections among regular donors was much lower than non-regular donors. Proper awareness-raising of donors about viral diseases, criteria for blood donation, appropriate behavior for blood donation in order to promote regular donation are ways to decrease viral infections.

  

 Key words: Prevalence, HIV, HCV, HBV

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  Abstract

 Background and Objectives

 Blood transfusion organizations screen blood donors by conducting interviews and serological tests to ensure blood safety. This study was conducted to study donor deferral, blood-borne infections, and related variables in Tehran Blood Transfusion Center (TBTC) during an 8- month period in 2003.

  

 Materials and Methods

 In this cross-sectional study, 34823 volunteer blood donors were selected randomly from all clients of Tehran Blood Transfusion Center over a period of 8 months (from June 2003 to January 2004). The prevalence of HBV, HCV and HIV was studied in 26645 eligible blood donors. Correlation of donor deferral with blood-borne infections, demographic (gender, age, marital status, job, educational level) traits and donation-related variables (regular donation) was studied.

 

 Results

 Deferral rate was 22.5% in the study period. Risk of blood transfusion transmitted diseases, disease/ exposure, medication, and other factors leading to blood deferral came out to happen in 43.36%, 34.02%, 13.91% and 15.42% of cases respectively. The age range less than 40, female gender, single status, low level education, non-regular donation and some job categories correlated with lower deferral rate. The prevalence rates of HBV, HCV and HIV were 0.6%, 0.2%, and 0.003%, respectively. Higher prevalence of HBV was significantly correlated with the age range over 40 years old (p=0.000), lower educational levels (p=0.002), and married status (p=0.001). HCV was not significantly correlated with any of these variables (p>0.05).

  

 Conclusions

 This study highlights that the recruitment of males, those with age range below 40, singles, those with higher educational level, and regular donors in Tehran will increase the supply of blood components. Moreover, recruitment of females, those with age range below 40, those with higher educational levels, and regular donors will provide safer blood products. Such studies are recommended for all blood transfusion centers in all provinces of Iran.

  

 Key words : Blood donation, Donor deferral, Cause of deferral, HBV, HCV, HIV

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  Abstract

  

 Background and Objectives

 Evaluation of demography and prevalence of HBsAg, HCV and HIV in blood donors in Jahrom was the goal of this study.

 

  Materials and Methods

 Data includeing age, sex, job, education level, underlying diseases, serologic tests (HBsAg, HCV, HIV) were obtained from files of blood donors who referred to blood center in Jahrom during 2001-2003.

 

 Results

 The average age of blood donors was 32.52±5.6 92.2% of them were male. Most of the blood donors (71.9%) were rural inhabitants. Having free jobs (43.5%) and being government employees (14.5%) were the most frequent job categories.The prevalence of HBsAg and HCV was 0.4 and 0.3% respectively. No case of HIV was detected.

 

 Conclusions

 Age and sex distribution of blood donors in present study was similar to other studies, but job and education frequency was different. The prevalence of HBV, HCV and HIV was lower than others parts of the world.

  

 Key words: Demography, Blood donor, HBV , HCV , HIV

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Abstract Background and Objectives The use of blood and blood products is one of the necessities of clinics. Blood donation should comply with international criteria because of the probability of transmission of infections following blood transfusion. One of the priorities in reliable blood transfusion centers in the world and in our country will be the improvement of the donor recruitment methods. It seems that recent methods are useful in non-emergencies. The use of such methods in emergency cases like what happened in Bam earthquake is practically impossible. This study aims to see if this would endanger blood safety. Materials and Methods In this cross-sectional study, 4188 blood units including 2094 blood units collected (as case group) immediately after Bam earthquake and 2094 units collected (as control group) before Bam earthquake were studied. In this process all blood units in the case and control groups were tested for HBV, HCV and HIV by Elisa method. We repeated positive results by Elisa. If test results were positive again, we would use confirmation tests (western blot and RIBA). Results The results show that there is a significant difference in Binomial test between control and case group (PV<0.001) for HBV and HCV before and after Bam earthquake however, no difference was observed for HIV between two groups. Conclusions Higher rate of serologically positive results in case group shows that there is a higher risk in emergencies for transmission of viral infections. To decrease this risk, it is proposed that blood donation is managed by implementing control mechanisms in emergency conditions.

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  Abstract

 Background and Objectives

 Increasing rate of infection through blood-transmitted agents, especially viruses such as HIV, HCV and HBV and long duration of their window period were the most important reasons for implementing the confidential self-exclusion system. This system is used to help blood donors exposed to contamination be able to exclude their blood units confidentially by informing blood centers. This research was conducted in Qom Blood Center in order to study the efficiency of the confidential self-exclusion system to improve blood safety.

 

 Materials and Methods

 The comprehensive data bank of Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization was used to collect information about 12935 blood donors during the period the confidential self-exclusion system applied from 01.09.82 to 31.03.83 (according to Iranian calendar) in this cross-sectional study. Data were analyzed by applying SPSS software and Chi-square statistical test.

 

 Results

 Out of 12935 donors, 204 (1.57%) had embarked on excluding their blood. Out of this number, 22 (10.78%) were ELISA positive and 182 (89.22%) ELISA negative. Out of 22 blood donors whose screening test results were positive, 11(50%) were HBs-Ag positive and the other 11 (50%) HCV-Ab positive none of them (22 blood donors) was positive in HIV-Ab and RPR test. Using Chi-square tests to analyze data, it came out to be evident that there was no significant statistical correlation considering marriage status, age and sex between the results of screening tests (ELISA) for blood donors who had excluded their blood donations and those who had not (p>0.05).

 

 Conclusions

 Given the results of carrying out confidential self-deferral system in Qom and some other blood transfusion centers across the country and increasing rate of infection around the world especially the third world countries, implementation of this plan in order to improve blood safety is imperative. Holding relevant educational workshops to raise public awareness and personal knowledge would further increase blood safety.

  

 Key words : Blood donors, HCV, HBV, HIV, Iran 

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