Evaluation of Blood Transfusions in Anemic Children in Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital, Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana

Abstract

Abstract. Blood transfusion is a common practice in sub-Saharan Africa as a way of correcting anemia in children with mild and severe sicknesses. This study evaluated this practice in a secondary health-care institution in Ghana. A retrospective study was done over a 3-year period from January 2010 to December 2012. Medical records of children admitted, successfully treated, and discharged from the hospital were collected and analyzed. Data were analyzed using Epi Info version 7. Transfusions were more among male children (89, 63.1%) than female children (52, 36.9%). The highest number of blood transfusions were carried out on children in the age range 0-1 year (66, 46.8%). The majority of the blood transfusions were done on children with hemoglobin concentration level of 5 g/dL and below. Children with malaria parasitemia (83, 58.9%) had more transfusions than children without malaria parasitemia (58, 41.1%). Fever alone (43, 30.5%) and fever with gastrointestinal symptoms (33, 23.4%) were the predominant symptoms among children who had blood transfusions. In conclusion, younger children received more transfusions than older children. Also, male children received more blood transfusions than female children. Malaria was observed as a major contributory factor to the requirement for blood transfusions among the children.

Blood use in sub‐Saharan Africa: a systematic review of current data

“…We found parallel patterns both for the individual hospital wards, with most products being given to the pediatric ward, and for subgroup patient populations. In the pooled analysis of the nine studies that included only children, it was found that 64% of blood products were used for children with severe malaria. Similarly, from the five pooled studies in obstetrics and gynecology, over one‐half (54%) of blood products were used for obstetric hemorrhage (represented here by the diagnostic categories of PPH, antepartum hemorrhage, and cesarean deliveries).…”

“…Blood use among the other patient populations of pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, cesarean section births, and newborns are shown in Appendices S3.3 through S3.7. The studies among pediatric patients showed that 64% (2810 of 4387) of blood products were transfused for malaria. Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) at 24% (524 of 2228) and cesarean sections at 22% (485 of 2228) were the most transfused diagnostic categories among the obstetrics and gynecology patients, with abortions and cancer accounting for only 10% and 8% of transfusions, respectively.…”

“…These 10 studies were used for the primary outcome calculation. The rest of the studies evaluated blood use among specific patient groups: nine studies among pediatric patients only; five on obstetrics and gynecology patients; three among cesarean section deliveries; three among newborn babies; two among elective surgical operations; two exclusively on the use of platelets; two on the use of autologous blood; and one among hepatogastroenterology patients . Most studies made a clear distinction between the number of patients transfused and the number of blood products used for transfusion.…”

Severe childhood anemia and emergency blood transfusion in Gadarif Hospital, eastern Sudan

“…In neighboring Kenya, blood transfusion is mostly used to treat severe malaria-associated anemia and sickle cell disease, and to replace massive blood loss [8,11]. In Ghana, malaria was reported as the main factor for requirement for blood transfusions in children [18]. However, septicemia (19, 13.6%), sickle cell disease (13, 9.3%), and malnutrition (10, 7.1%) are the most common indications for blood transfusion in Nigerian children [27].…”

“…Severe anemia secondary to infections, such as malaria, Leishmania species, and Shistosoma species, is a large health problem in Sudanese children [13–15]. While there are published data on blood transfusion in children in other African countries [10,11,16–18], there are no published data on blood transfusion in Sudan. Therefore, the current study was conducted to determine the rate of anemic children with WHO indications for blood transfusion, and to describe the indications for blood transfusion the time to blood transfusion and outcome of blood transfusion, in children in Gadatif Hospital in eastern Sudan.…”