Novel Diagnostic Approach and Safe Blood Transfusion Practices for Thalassemia: A Vital Role of a Blood Centre in Western India

Abstract

β-Thalassemia carrier’s frequency is uneven in different districts in Gujarat (0–9.5%). Surat Raktadan Kendra & Research Centre (SRKRC), NABH accredited and regional blood Centre in Surat (Gujarat, India) running since 1976, provides free blood units to more than 350 Thalassemia Major Patients every year. Our DSIR (Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India) approved Research department has developed Multiplex ARMS-PCR including 4 common mutations which is a fast, reliable, and cost-effective method. Safe blood transfusion is a priority for these patients because of having transfusion-associated infections, formation of alloantibodies against donor’s antigens, developing different grades of Blood Transfusion Reactions (BTR’s), etc. Therefore, different approaches have been implemented as routine practice by our Blood Centre, like the use of saline washed and/or leuco-reduced Red Cell Concentrate for transfusion (reduces the risk of BTR’s), NAT testing for Transfusion Transmitted Infections (reduces window period of TTI’s), antibody screening of patient (if develop in patient) and molecular genotyping of clinically important blood group antigens (Difficult to type these patients serologically due to presence of donors’ red cells). Despite being Blood Centre, contributing to developing novel diagnostic techniques and strictly following all possible transfusion practices, SRKRC greatly helps in ensuring proper diagnosis, lengthening the transfusion period and providing the safest blood to these patients.