Prasun Bhattacharya

Transfusion-related adverse events at the tertiary care center in North India: An institutional hemovigilance effort.

Aim: This study was designed to analyze the incidence and spectrum of adverse effects of blood transfusion so as to initiate measures to minimize risks and improve overall transfusion safety in the institute. Materials and Methods: During the period from July 2002 to July 2003 all the adverse events related to transfusion of blood and blood components in various clinical specialties were recorded. They were analyzed and classified on the basis of their clinical features and laboratory tests. Attempt was also made to study the predisposing risk factors. Results: During the study period 56,503 blood and blood components were issued to 29,720 patients. A total of 105 adverse reactions due to transfusion were observed during the study period. A majority of the adverse reactions was observed in hemato-oncology patients 43% (n = 45) and in presensitized patient groups 63% (n = 66). FNHTR 41% (n = 43) and allergic reactions 34% (n = 36) were the most common of all types of adverse transfusion reactions, followed by AcHTR 8.56% (n = 9). Majority of these AcHTR were due to unmonitored storage of blood in the refrigerator of wards resulting in hemolysis due to thermal injury. Less frequently observed reactions were anaphylactoid reactions (n = 4), bacterial sepsis (n = 4), hypervolemia (n = 2), hypocalcemia (n = 2), TRALI (n = 1), DHTR (n = 1), and TAGvHD (n = 1). Conclusion: Analysis of transfusion-related adverse outcomes is essential for improving safety. Factors such as improvement of blood storage conditions outside the blood bank, improvement in cross-matching techniques, careful donor screening, adherence to good manufacturing practices while component preparation, bedside monitoring of transfusion, and documentation of adverse events will help in reducing transfusion-related morbidity and mortality.

Frequency of Red Cell Alloimmunization and Autoimmunization in Thalassemia Patients: A Report from Eastern India

Introduction. Red blood cell (RBC) alloimmunization and autoimmunization remain a major problem in transfusion dependent thalassemic patients. There is a paucity of data on the incidence of RBC alloimmunization and autoimmunization in thalassemic patients from eastern part of India, as pretransfusion antibody screening is not routinely performed. Aims. To assess the incidence of RBC alloimmunization and autoimmunization in transfusion dependent thalassemic patients in eastern India. Materials and Methods. Total 500 thalassemia cases were evaluated. The antibody screening and identification were performed with commercially available panel cells (Diapanel, Bio-rad, Switzerland) by column agglutination method. To detect autoantibodies, autocontrol and direct antiglobulin tests were carried out using polyspecific coombs (IgG + C3d) gel cards in all patients. Results. A total of 28 patients developed RBC alloimmunization (5.6%) and 5 patients had autoantibodies (1%). Alloantibody against c had the highest incidence (28.57%) followed by E (21.42%). Five out of 28 (17.85%) patients had developed antibodies against both c and E. Conclusion. Data from this study demonstrate that the RBC alloantibody and autoantibody development rates are significant in our region. Thus, pretransfusion antibody screening needs to be initiated in eastern India in order to ensure safe transfusion practice.

Response to post-donation counseling is still a challenge in outdoor voluntary blood donation camps: A survey from a tertiary care regional blood center in Eastern India.

Background: Blood transfusion carries the risk of transmission of several infectious agents. The latest method for blood screening, nucleic acid testing is not affordable in developing countries. Aim: The study was aimed to find response to post-donation counseling for reactive markers among the voluntary blood donors donating in blood donation camps. Material and Methods: This 1 year study was conducted in 2011. Transfusion transmitted infections testing was performed by routine enzyme linked immunosorbent assay method. The initial human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reactive donors who returned back to the blood bank were confidentially counseled and referred to the Integrated Counseling Cum Testing Center (ICTC). The hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) reactive donors were referred to the gastroenterology department for confirmation by qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR, Roche Diagnostics, Germany) and followed-up. Results: Twenty seven thousand two hundred forty six 27,246 units were collected during the survey. One hundred twenty nine129 units were reactive for HIV 1 and 2, 99 were reactive for HCV, 206 for hepatitis B virus (HBV). Of these reactive donors, 138 could be personally communicated. Out of 47, 27 donors who returned for counseling were initially reactive for HIV 1 and 2, 8 for HBsAg and 12 for anti-HCV. Two were positive for HBV deoxyribonucleic acid and one was positive for HCV ribonucleic acid. The HIV positivity was detected in 1 of 27 donors at ICTC. Conclusion: The response to the post-donation counseling appears in this study to be only 34% (47/138), which is still a challenge.

ABO, Rhesus, and Kell Antigens, Alleles, and Haplotypes in West Bengal, India

Background: Few studies have documented the blood group antigens in the population of eastern India. Frequencies of some common alleles and haplotypes were unknown. We describe phenotype, allele, and haplotype frequencies in the state of West Bengal, India. Methods: We tested 1,528 blood donors at the Medical College Hospital, Kolkata. The common antigens of the ABO, Rhesus, and Kell blood group systems were determined by standard serologic methods in tubes. Allele and haplotype frequencies were calculated with an iterative method that yielded maximum-likelihood estimates under the assumption of a Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Results: The prevalence of ABO antigens were B (34%), O (32%), A (25%), and AB (9%) with ABO allele frequencies for O = 0.567, A = 0.189, and B = 0.244. The D antigen (RH1) was observed in 96.6% of the blood donors with RH haplotype frequencies, such as for CDe = 0.688809, cde = 0.16983 and CdE = 0.000654. The K antigen (K1) was observed in 12 donors (0.79%) with KEL allele frequencies for K = 0.004 and k = 0.996. Conclusions: For the Bengali population living in the south of West Bengal, we established the frequencies of the major clinically relevant antigens in the ABO, Rhesus, and Kell blood group systems and derived estimates for the underlying ABO and KEL alleles and RH haplotypes. Such blood donor screening will improve the availability of compatible red cell units for transfusion. Our approach using widely available routine methods can readily be applied in other regions, where the sufficient supply of blood typed for the Rh and K antigens is lacking.