Pre-deposit autologous blood donation in blood conservation perspective from a resource poor country

Abstract

Background: The transfusion service in developing countries is bedeviled with the challenges of perennial shortage of allogeneic blood and the need for safe blood. The perceived risk of transfusion transmitted disease led to the incorporation of autologous blood transfusion (ABT) as an integral component of elective surgical protocol in many institutions in the 1980s. The improvement of viral safety of allogeneic blood products following the introduction of molecular techniques has led to a decline in the use of autologous blood use. Therefore, a literature search was performed to examine current evidences and motivate the utilization of autologous blood in developing countries to increase blood availability and safety Materials and methods: A literature search on autologous blood donation and transfusion was carried out using PubMed, high wire press and google scholar. Article* from 1991 to 2016 on the provision of autologous blood with its challenges, merits and demerits were reviewed. Results: Provision of adequate units of blood is not a major issue in developed countries. With the advent of nucleic acid testing, the risk of HIV, HCV, HBV infections with receiving transfusion of allogeneic blood is considerably small. The cost incurred by the execution of autologous blood transfusion service in the developing countries is less than in the developed countries. The majority of the population in developing countries do not have access to adequate blood supply and the risks of transfusion transmitted viruses is much higher than in developed countries