Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on blood supply: A comparative cross-sectional study of the pre-pandemic and pandemic era

Objective@#The study aimed to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on local blood supply management in the Davao Region, Philippines from 2019 to 2021 through the analysis of trends in blood supply in Davao Region, Philippines.@*Methodology@#Secondary data from two blood centers in the Davao Region for the years 2019 to 2021 were used to determine the trends on blood donation supply. To evaluate trends, the overall number of blood donors and the quantities of various types of blood components in whole blood, packed red blood cells (PRBCs), fresh frozen plasma (FFPs) and platelet concentrate have been compared between pre-pandemic, pandemic periods and as restrictions eased.@*Results@#A substantial decrease of 51.6% in the number of blood donors was seen during 2021 in comparison with 2019. The trend in collection by blood components also showed a significant trend from 2019 to 2021, whole blood (200.8%), packed RBCs (37.1%), fresh frozen plasma (113.6%). While the platelet concentrate supply declined by 34.9% from 2019 to 2020, an increase of 10.7% was noted onwards to 2021.@*Conclusion@#The results demonstrate that during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a major reduction in donation and supply of blood. The challenges faced by blood banks in ensuring a stable and sufficient blood supply are highlighted by the decrease in the number of donors and by the different trends in the supply of blood components. The targeted efforts to promote blood donation and enhance the resilience of the blood supply during and after the pandemic is important.

The Reduction Effect of Leukocyte Fragments by Leukodepletion Filter / 대한수혈학회지

BACKGROUND: The efficiency of leukocyte removal filter is influenced by many factors. But, filtration efficiency of leukocyte fragments was not well known. We performed this study to evaluate whether the filtration efficiency for packed red blood cells can be influenced by leukocyte fragments according to storage time. METHODS: Leukocyte fragments in packed red blood cells (three units) which were artificially made by incubation for 4 hrs at 56degrees C and each four units of packed red blood cells according to storage time (0 days, 10 days, 20 days, and 30 days) were filtered using Sepacell R-500A (Asahi medical Co, Japan). The leukocyte concentrations of the pre-leukodepleted samples were estimated using an automated hematology analyzer (XE-2100, Sysmex, Japan). The ratio between the number of normal leukocytes and leukocyte fragments on Wright Giemsa stained slide was used in the analysis. The leukocyte concentrations of the post-leukodepleted samples were performed by the conventional counting methods using Nageotte hemocytometer. RESULTS: The ratios of fragmented to total leukocytes in packed red blood cells at pre- and post leukoreduction according to storage times were 1.5% and 16.3% within 1 days, 4.5% and 30.0% at 10 days, 6.3% and 35.0% at 30 days, and 8.3% and 42.5% at 40 days, respectively. Leukoreduction efficiencies of normal leukocytes in packed red blood cells were 99.99 +/- 0.01%, 99.97 +/- 0.02%, 99.98 +/- 0.01%, and 99.86 +/- 0.09%, respectively. The 36.0% of leukocytes in packed red blood cells were changed to fragmented leukocytes, residual fragmented leukocytes ratio was 95.0% and filter efficiencies of normal leukocytes was low(99.28%, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The leukodepleted efficiency for leukocyte fragments were lower than for normal leukocytes. Leukocytes fragments may be influenced to lower the leukodepleted efficiency of normal leukocytes with storage time elapse.

Removal of Yersinia enterocolitica from Packed RBCs with WBC-Reduction Filters / 대한임상병리학회지

BACKGROUND: Aseptic technique and cold storage of blood can reduce the incidence of transfusion-associated infections. But, none of these precautions eliminates the potential of drawing contaminated blood from an asymptomatic carrier with psychrophilic organisms such as Yersinia enterocolitica. We evaluated the ability of WBC-reduction filters to prevent the growth of bacteria in packed RBCs that are artificially inoculated with Y. enterocolitica. METHODS: Twenty units of packed RBCs donated from 20 healthy individuals were divided into 4 groups. Group A and B were inoculated with 10 CFU/mL of Y. enterocolitica and group C and D were inoculated with 100 CFU/mL of Y.enterocolitica. After 24 hours of cold storage, group A and C were filtered through WBC-reduction filter (Sepacell R 500A: Asai medical, Japan) and returned them to storage. Group B and D served as unfiltered controls. We collected blood weekly from day 1 to day 35 of storage. Bacterial growths were compared between 4 groups. RESULTS: The prefiltration WBC count was 8,880/ L (SD 1464.2/ L, n=20). After filtration residual WBC count was 210/ L (SD 99.8/ L, n=10). All cases of group B & D (10 & 100 CFU/mL inoculation without filtration) showed growth over 105 CFU/mL after 3 weeks storage. But in filtered groups, only 1/5 (20%) of group C (100 CFU/mL inoculation with filtration) and 4/5 (80%) of group A (10 CFU/mL inoculation with filtration) showed growth over 105 CFU/mL after 3 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The use of WBC-reduction filter have ability to reduce the risk of transfusion transmitted bacteremia in packed RBCs.

The Effect of Component Transfusion on Perioperative Change of Hemoglobin , Hematocrit and Platelet Count / 대한마취과학회지

The progress of anesthetic and surgical techniques has resulted in an increase in the number of operations requiring transfusions over the past 10 years. Thus, the incidence of complications from shortage transfusions increases daily and a blood supply shortage occurred recently. blood component therapy is now believed to be an answer to these problems. To assess the effect of blood component therapy, especially packed RBC transfusion compared with routine whole blood transfusion, the author compared the preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin, hematocrit and platelet count values. The conclusions are as follows: 1) There were no significant changes in hemoglobin and hematocrit values of the whole population studied, from preoprative values of 12.6+/-0.2g% and 37.6+/-0.6% to postoperative values of 12.7+/-0.1g% and 38.2+/-0.4%, respectively. The platelet count significantly decreased (p<0.05) from 305200+/-9500/mm(3) preoperatively to 249600+/-8800/mm(3) postoperatively in the whole population studied. 2) There were no significant changes in hemoglobin and hematocrit levels according to age distribution, type of transfusion, amount of transfusion, surgical department and operative site, except in the Department of General Surgery, in abdominal surgery, and tumor group surgery in which preoperative hemoglobin and hematocrit values were slightly increased postoperatively. 3) The platelet count significantly decreased postoperatively in the whole population studied except in transfusion amounts under 1 unit, in the age distributions of 20~29, 60~69 and above 70 years, in the Departments of Neurosurgery, Urology, Plastic Surgery, Dental Surgery, ENT, and in head and neck surgery. However, it did not decrease to the level of abnormal bleeding(50.000/mm(3). From the above results, blood component therapy, especially packed RBC transfusion, made no difference in maintaining postoperative hemoglobin and hematocrit levels compared with routine whole blood transfusion.