J. Vos et al., ARE SOME BLOOD-TRANSFUSIONS AVOIDABLE - A HOSPITAL RECORD ANALYSIS INMWANZA REGION, TANZANIA, Tropical and geographical medicine, 45(6), 1993, pp. 301-303
Records of 497 patients who received and blood transfusion in Mwanza R
egion, Tanzania, were analyzed in order to estimate the proportion of
avoidable blood transfusions. This was part of a more comprehensive st
udy which aims at the reduction of transfusion-associated HIV transmis
sion. Blood transfusion recipients were divided into the following gro
ups: operated patients (12%), pregnant women (8%), under-fives (62%),
children aged 5-14 years (5%) and adults (13%). Two sets of criteria w
ere applied to estimate the number of avoidable blood transfusions. Th
e total proportion of avoidable blood transfusions wing these criteria
were 32 and 56%, respectively. If the strictest criteria were applied
the proportion of avoidable blood transfusions in operated patients w
as 44%, in pregnant women with chronic anaemia 18%, in under-fives 62%
, in children 31% and in adults 51%. It was concluded that a major red
uction in the number of blood transfusions could be achieved, in parti
cular in underfives.