Causes of deferral among blood donation candidates: a retrospective study in a hospital of the Huasteca Potosina region

Abstract

Transfusion safety depends on the strict application of donor selection criteria that minimize risks for both recipients and donors; however, these requirements may result in a considerable proportion of donor deferrals. The aim of this study was to identify the main causes of deferral among blood donation candidates and to analyze their temporal distribution in a second-level hospital in the Huasteca Potosina region. An observational, retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted, with a descriptive-analytical approach and a comparative analysis by semester, based on the review of 1604 clinical records of candidates evaluated at the Transfusion Service of Hospital B of the ISSSTE in Ciudad Valles, San Luis Potosí, from January to December 2023. Causes of deferral were classified according to NOM-253-SSA1-2012 regulations. A descriptive analysis and an exploratory comparative analysis by semester were performed using Fisher’s exact test, Odds Ratio calculation with 95 % confidence intervals, and Benjamini-Hochberg adjustment to control the false discovery rate. Overall, 54.24 % of candidates were deferred. The main causes were lipemic serum (45.75 %), unsuitable veins for venipuncture (10.80 %), low hemoglobin (8.51 %), leukocytosis (8.51 %), and incomplete collection or reserve (6.21 %). In the exploratory temporal analysis, the associations that remained after adjustment corresponded to lipemic serum and incomplete collection/reserve status. In conclusion, this study provides updated regional evidence on the main causes of donor deferral and highlights the importance of strengthening pre-donation counseling actions and optimizing selection processes in the regional context.