EVALUATION OF AWARENESS AND UTILIZATION OF AN AUTOLOGOUS BLOOD-TRANSFUSION PROGRAM

Autologous blood transfusion (ABT) has an important role in transfusio n practice in the developing world due to increasing incidence of HIV and hepatitis C virus infection. Our study was done to evaluate the le vel of awareness and utilization of an autologous blood transfusion pr ogramme in a teaching hospital in Delhi. We assessed the level of awar eness of preoperative ABT amongst treating physicians from different s pecialties in a teaching hospital through an anonymous questionnaire. The utilization of this methodology in transfusion practice was estima ted from records of the Blood Transfusion Service. Of the 150 doctors contacted 96 (64%) responded. Although 67.7% of them were aware of the technique and its advantages, only 21.8% used it for the patients und er their care. In the preceding 24 months 133 (1.1%) of 12 090 blood c ollections in the transfusion service were from autologous donor-patie nts. Only one unit of blood was collected from each patient, although 41.8% of them received greater than or equal to 2 units of blood. Of t he 11 123 patients transfused, 55 (0.49%) received the ABT. Thus only 55 (41.3%) of 133 total ABT collections were utilized. The study highl ights that there is a general lack of awareness about ABT amongst phys icians. This transfusion practice is rarely and inadequately used. The study was repeated the following year after an intensive intervention strategy was adopted. The results show a trend towards improvement in the practice of ABT. This study emphasizes the need for proper organi zation, planning and communication between clinicians and blood transf usion personnel for effective implementation of an ABT programme, espe cially in countries with a high incidence of transfusion-transmitted i nfections and acute shortages of blood for transfusion.