- Title
- Prevalence of red blood cell alloantibodies in healthy blood donors: A retrospective study
- Creator
- Bada, Thandolwethu Sarafina
- Subject
- Blood--Transfusion
- Subject
- Blood donors
- Subject
- Red blood cell alloantibodies
- Date Issued
- 2024-04
- Date
- 2024-04
- Type
- Master's theses
- Type
- text
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/63688
- Identifier
- vital:73586
- Description
- Background: Blood transfusion is one of the essential supporting therapies in the management of patients and all efforts must be geared towards ensuring greater blood safety. There are studies on the prevalence of red blood cell alloantibodies in numerous transfused patients. However, no research has been done on the population of healthy first-time donors in South Africa who donates blood for transfusion. Red blood cell alloantibodies may be present in the donated units and potentially lead to transfusion reactions or to decreased survival of transfused RBCs. Therefore, it is necessary to know the prevalence of alloantibodies in donors and the clinical significance. Aims and objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and identity of red blood cell alloantibodies in healthy first-time blood donors in the South African population, as well as to identify them, with the goal of improving blood safety and transfusion support for patients. Materials and methods: This retrospective and observational study investigates healthy first-time blood donors in the South African population over a five-year period, from January 2015 to December 2019. ABO typing and Rh typing were performed using the fully automated immunohaematology analyser BECKMAN COULTER PK7300 (Danaher Corporation, Brea, California). Erytra Eflexis automated system (8-column DG Gel cards) (Diagnostic Grifols, Barcelona, Spain) was used for antibody screening and antibody identification was performed using the RBC 11 Identisera Diana panel sheet. Approval was obtained from the Ethics Committees of Nelson Mandela University, South African National Blood Services and Western Province Blood Services prior to commencement of the study. Results: A total of 497 711 healthy first-time donors, consisting of 209 604 (42%) males and 288 107 (58%) females, were evaluated for irregular antibodies. The maximum number of donors belonged to the age group 18 to 29. Antibody screening results were positive in 849 donors from the entire population investigated, and 603 were RBC alloantibodies with an overall prevalence of 0.12%. The most frequent RBC alloantibody identified was anti-M from the MNS blood group systems, being present in 129 blood donors. Conclusion: The prevalence of RBC alloantibodies in the donor population in the study was 0.12% (603/497 711). As the inclusion criteria was limited, larger studies examining at all donors (first-time and repeated donations) are needed to determine the actual prevalence of alloantibodies in the population of South African donors.
- Description
- Thesis (MHSc) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical Care & Medicinal Sciences, 2024
- Format
- computer
- Format
- online resource
- Format
- application/pdf
- Format
- 1 online resource (102 pages)
- Format
- Publisher
- Nelson Mandela University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela University
- Rights
- All Rights Reserved
- Rights
- Open Access
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- Downloads: 2
Collections
NMU School of Medicinal Sciences
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | Bada, T April 2024.pdf | 1 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |