Autologous blood donation and transfusion in obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital Maiduguri, Nigeria

To evaluate the practicability of autologous blood donation and transfusion in the practice of obstetrics and gynaecology in our environment. A prospective study of 1221 obstetric and gynaecological patients to which autologous blood donation and transfusion was carried out at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Maiduguri over an 8 year period (January, 1998 to December, 2005). During the study period, there were 15,267 blood transfusions in the UMTH out of which 5,711 were for Obstetric and Gynaecological patients given a transfusion rate of 47.7% in the unit. Out of the 5711 transfusion in the obstetrics and gynaecology, 1221 were by autologous means; a rate of 21.4%. Of the 3010 transfusion in obstetrics 625 (20.7%) were of autologous blood and of the 2711 transfusion in gynaecological patients 596 (22.1%) were of autologous blood. Preoperative blood donation was done in 598 (95.8%) of the obstetrics autologous blood donation out of which, 40 (6.4%) predeposited 2 units. Five hundred and sixty (94.1%) gynaecological patients had preoperative blood donation out of which, 46 (7.7%) predeposited 2 units. Induction of labour constitutes the major indication 337 (53.9%) for the autologous blood donation in obstetric while the major indication in gynaecology patients was myomectomy (25.7%).The main complications encountered were dizziness, and fainting attack that necessitated re-infusion in one patient. Autologous blood donation and transfusion procedure is feasible in the setting of obstetrics and gynaecology and it does not require high technical procedure.