ABO and rhesus blood group frequency among donors and admitted patients at Zawia Medical Center, AzZawya City, Libya

ABSTRACT

The identification and categorization of blood groups play a crucial role in transfusion medicine as it allows for safe and compatible transfusions. Among the various blood group systems, the ABO and Rhesus blood grouping systems have special clinical significance. Understanding the distribution and frequency of ABO and Rhesus blood groups within a specific community is essential for healthcare planning, especially when it comes to blood supply management and organ transplantation. Additionally, studies have also shown a relationship between ABO blood groups and the onset and spread of diseases. Therefore, this study was conducted to detect the distribution and frequency of ABO and Rhesus blood groups in AzZawya City, Libya. In this retrospective study, data from the blood bank at Zawia Medical Center were collected over three years to detect the distribution of ABO and Rh blood groups among 5187 donors and admitted patients. The result shows that blood group O is the dominant among all study subjects (45%), as well as, among males (48.2%), and females (42.2%). Blood group A is the second most common at 34.6% among total, 33% among males, and 36% among females. For Rhesus antigens 89.4% of study subjects were Rhesus positive, 87.3% for males and 80% for females. In addition, the results show a statistically significant association between gender and blood group distribution p <0.001. Knowing the most common blood types helps maintain adequate blood bank supplies.