TY - JOUR
T1 - International Society of Blood Transfusion survey of experiences of blood banks and transfusion services during the COVID-19 pandemic
AU - Al-Riyami, Arwa Z.
AU - Burnouf, Thierry
AU - the ISBT COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Working Group
AU - Wood, Erica M.
AU - Devine, Dana V.
AU - Oreh, Adaeze
AU - Apelseth, Torunn Oveland
AU - Goel, Ruchika
AU - Bloch, Evan M.
AU - van Den Berg, Karin
AU - Getshen, Mahrukh
AU - Louw, Vernon
AU - Ang, Ai Leen
AU - Lee, Cheuk Kwong
AU - Rahimi-Levene, Naomi
AU - Stramer, Susan L.
AU - Vassallo, Ralph
AU - Schulze, Torsten J.
AU - Patidar, Gopal Kumar
AU - Pandey, Hem Chandra
AU - Dubey, Rounak
AU - Badawi, Maha
AU - Hindawi, Salwa
AU - Meshi, Abdullah
AU - Matsushita, Tadashi
AU - Sorrentino, Enrico
AU - Grubovic Rastvorceva, Rada M.
AU - Bazin, Renée
AU - Vermeulen, Marion
AU - Nahirniak, Susan
AU - Tsang, Hamilton C.
AU - Vrielink, Hans
AU - Triyono, Teguh
AU - Addas-Carvalho, Marcelo
AU - Hećimović, Ana
AU - Torres, Oscar W.
AU - Mutindu, Samclide M.
AU - Bengtsson, Jesper
AU - Dominguez, Diego
AU - Sayedahmed, Ahmed
AU - Hanisa Musa, Rozi
AU - Gautam, Bipul
AU - Herczenik, Eszter
AU - So-Osman, Cynthia
N1 - Funding Information:
We acknowledge the ISBT Central Office staff for the support in designing and distributing the survey, and the experts who participated in this survey (Appendix S1). A.Z.R. acquired and analysed the data and wrote the first draft of the manuscript; T.B. initiated the research idea, supervised the research, and reviewed and edited the manuscript; A.Z.R., T.B., E.M.W., D.V.D., A.O., T.O.A., R.G., E.M.B., K.D.B., M.G., V.L., NRL, A.L.A., C.K.L., E.H. and C.S.O. designed the survey. The remaining authors participated in the survey and provided detailed responses. All authors reviewed the manuscript.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 International Society of Blood Transfusion.
PY - 2022/6
Y1 - 2022/6
N2 - Background and Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted blood systems worldwide. Challenges included maintaining blood supplies and initiating the collection and use of COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP). Sharing information on the challenges can help improve blood collection and utilization. Materials and Methods: A survey questionnaire was distributed to International Society of Blood Transfusion members in 95 countries. We recorded respondents' demographic information, impacts on the blood supply, CCP collection and use, transfusion demands and operational challenges. Results: Eighty-two responses from 42 countries, including 24 low- and middle-income countries, were analysed. Participants worked in national (26.8%) and regional (26.8%) blood establishments and hospital-based (42.7%) institutions. CCP collection and transfusion were reported by 63% and 36.6% of respondents, respectively. Decreases in blood donations occurred in 70.6% of collecting facilities. Despite safety measures and recruitment strategies, donor fear and refusal of institutions to host blood drives were major contributing factors. Almost half of respondents working at transfusion medicine services were from large hospitals with over 10,000 red cell transfusions per year, and 76.8% of those hospitals experienced blood shortages. Practices varied in accepting donors for blood or CCP donations after a history of COVID-19 infection, CCP transfusion, or vaccination. Operational challenges included loss of staff, increased workloads and delays in reagent supplies. Almost half of the institutions modified their disaster plans during the pandemic. Conclusion: The challenges faced by blood systems during the COVID-19 pandemic highlight the need for guidance, harmonization, and strengthening of the preparedness and the capacity of blood systems against future infectious threats.
AB - Background and Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted blood systems worldwide. Challenges included maintaining blood supplies and initiating the collection and use of COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP). Sharing information on the challenges can help improve blood collection and utilization. Materials and Methods: A survey questionnaire was distributed to International Society of Blood Transfusion members in 95 countries. We recorded respondents' demographic information, impacts on the blood supply, CCP collection and use, transfusion demands and operational challenges. Results: Eighty-two responses from 42 countries, including 24 low- and middle-income countries, were analysed. Participants worked in national (26.8%) and regional (26.8%) blood establishments and hospital-based (42.7%) institutions. CCP collection and transfusion were reported by 63% and 36.6% of respondents, respectively. Decreases in blood donations occurred in 70.6% of collecting facilities. Despite safety measures and recruitment strategies, donor fear and refusal of institutions to host blood drives were major contributing factors. Almost half of respondents working at transfusion medicine services were from large hospitals with over 10,000 red cell transfusions per year, and 76.8% of those hospitals experienced blood shortages. Practices varied in accepting donors for blood or CCP donations after a history of COVID-19 infection, CCP transfusion, or vaccination. Operational challenges included loss of staff, increased workloads and delays in reagent supplies. Almost half of the institutions modified their disaster plans during the pandemic. Conclusion: The challenges faced by blood systems during the COVID-19 pandemic highlight the need for guidance, harmonization, and strengthening of the preparedness and the capacity of blood systems against future infectious threats.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85127744712&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/vox.13256
DO - 10.1111/vox.13256
M3 - Article
C2 - 35262978
AN - SCOPUS:85127744712
VL - 117
SP - 822
EP - 830
JO - Vox Sanguinis
JF - Vox Sanguinis
SN - 0042-9007
IS - 6
ER -
