ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PRACTICE OF HAEMOVIGILANCE AMONG POST-GRADUATES AT A TERTIARY CARE TEACHING HOSPITAL IN HYDERABAD–A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Objective: Transfusion of blood and blood products is a life-saving intervention but has the potential to cause adverse events. Haemovigilance is an organized system that includes monitoring, identification, reporting, investigating, and analyzing adverse events related to transfusion and the manufacture of blood products. However, reporting of adverse reactions is markedly less in our country. This study is intended to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice of Haemovigilance among post-graduates (PGs) and to scrutinize various causes of Underreporting. Methods: A cross-sectional pre-validated questionnaire-based study was carried out in Osmania medical college and hospital, Hyderabad over 4 months among 150 PGs. Results: Only120 PGs out of 150, provided their responses. Only 20% of the PGs knew about the Haemovigilance program. 41.6% knew how to report and who can report. 2% knew about Hemo-vigil and Donor vigil software. 100% of PGs show a positive attitude towards transfusion reaction reporting and agreed that Haemovigilance activities should include in the undergraduate curriculum. Medicolegal liability issues, lack of knowledge, and lack of time were the main factors that forbade them from reporting. Conclusion: A positive attitude towards Haemovigilance exists among PGs but knowledge regarding the Haemovigilance program was poor and the practice of transfusion reactions reporting was significantly reduced. Hence, our study suggests the inclusion of the procedure of transfusion reactions reporting in the Undergraduate curriculum and augmentation of CMEs/workshops/seminars to PGs.