effect of transfusing g6pd-deficient blood and prevalence of this enzymopathy in a Riyadh hospital blood donor population

ABSTRACT

A study was designed in a Riyadh hospital to determine the effects of transfusing glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase [G6PD]-deficient blood and to evaluate the prevalence of this enzymopathy in a hospital blood donor population. Approximately 2% of Saudi blood donors [almost all male] were found to be severely G6PD-deficient and a statistically significant difference in the normal levels of G6PD was found between various ethnic donor groups. Analysis of the preliminary data on patients transfused with G6PD-deficient blood failed to reveal any changes in morphology or biochemical parameters consistent with haemolysis compared with those receiving normal units of blood. It was therefore concluded that it is unjustified to proscribe G6PD-deficient blood