Prevalence of transfusion-transmitted infections in multiple blood transfused thalassemia patients: A report from a tertiary care center in North India

Aims: The present study was undertaken to estimate the prevalence of transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) in multitransfused patients of thalassemia major and to determine the association with relation to the number of blood units being transfused in Jammu province. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 138 beta thalassemia patients registered for regular blood transfusions at the Department of Blood Transfusion Medicine, Shri Maharaja Gulaab Singh Hospital, Government Medical College, Jammu in the period July-December 2014. The tests for TTIs, i.e., human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV), were performed by using third-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Statistical Analysis: The data were analyzed as proportions. The statistical significance of the results was evaluated using the chi-squared test/Fisher's exact test. A P value of 15 years of age. Of the anti-HCV positive cases, 94.4% (17 out of 18) had received more than 100 transfusions. Anti-HCV seroreactivity was noted to increase with increase in the age of the patient and the number of transfusions. Conclusion: HCV is the main TTI in multitransfused thalassemic patients. HBV vaccination must be done before starting the transfusion regimen or as soon as otherwise possible.