Response to post-donation counseling is still a challenge in outdoor voluntary blood donation camps: A survey from a tertiary care regional blood center in Eastern India

Background: Blood transfusion carries the risk of transmission of several infectious agents. The latest method for blood screening, nucleic acid testing is not affordable in developing countries. Aim: The study was aimed to find response to post-donation counseling for reactive markers among the voluntary blood donors donating in blood donation camps. Material and Methods: This 1 year study was conducted in 2011. Transfusion transmitted infections testing was performed by routine enzyme linked immunosorbent assay method. The initial human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reactive donors who returned back to the blood bank were confidentially counseled and referred to the Integrated Counseling Cum Testing Center (ICTC). The hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV) reactive donors were referred to the gastroenterology department for confirmation by qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR, Roche Diagnostics, Germany) and followed-up. Results: Twenty seven thousand two hundred forty six 27,246 units were collected during the survey. One hundred twenty nine129 units were reactive for HIV 1 and 2, 99 were reactive for HCV, 206 for hepatitis B virus (HBV). Of these reactive donors, 138 could be personally communicated. Out of 47, 27 donors who returned for counseling were initially reactive for HIV 1 and 2, 8 for HBsAg and 12 for anti-HCV. Two were positive for HBV deoxyribonucleic acid and one was positive for HCV ribonucleic acid. The HIV positivity was detected in 1 of 27 donors at ICTC. Conclusion: The response to the post-donation counseling appears in this study to be only 34% (47/138), which is still a challenge.