PREVALENCE OF TRANSFUSION TRANSMISSIBLE INFECTIONS AMONG BLOOD DONORS IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL OF DODA REGION OF J&K : A TWO YEAR EXPERIENCE

Introduction: Blood transfusion is a double-edged sword. On one end it can serve as a life saving measure in various surgical and medical emergencies, whereas on other end it can serve as an important mode of transmission of TTIs. Hence to prevent transmission of TTIs from donor to recipient and without compromising its benefits donor blood is screened for TTIs before transfusion of blood. Aim: To estimate the prevalence of TTIs among healthy blood donors in Doda region of J&K. Materials and Method: The present study was a two-year retrospective study conducted from August 2019 to July 2021. Blood samples from all the healthy blood donors including replacement and voluntary were screened for five most common and important TTIs. Result: A total of 2392 blood donors were included in this study and prevalence of HBV was found to be highest among the TTIs which was 0.58%. Prevalence of HIV, HCV and syphilis was found to be 0.12%. Conclusion: Blood transfusion can serve as a major source of transmission of TTIs if donor blood is not screened properly.In order to minimize the risk of transmission of TTIs and to ensure safe blood transfusion donor blood should be subjected to sensitive screening tests for TTIs before transfusion.