Background: The outbreak of a SARS-CoV-2 resulted in a massive afflux of patients in hospital and intensive care units with many challenges. Blood transfusion was one of them regarding both blood banks (safety, collection, and stocks) and consumption (usual care and unknown specific demand of COVID-19 patients). The risk of mismatch was sufficient to plan blood transfusion restrictions if stocks became limited.
Study design and methods: Analyses of blood transfusion in a tertiary hospital and blood collection in the referring blood bank between February 24 and May 31, 2020.
Results: Withdrawal of elective surgery and non-urgent care and admission of 2291 COVID-19 patients reduced global activity by 33% but transfusion by 17% only. Only 237 (10.3) % of COVID-19 patients required blood transfusion, including 45 (2.0%) with acute bleeding. Lockdown and cancellation of mobile collection resulted in an 11% reduction in blood donation compared to 2019. The ratio of reduction in blood transfusion to blood donation remained positive and stocks were slightly enhanced.
Discussion: Reduction of admissions due to SARS-CoV-2 pandemic results only in a moderate decrease of blood transfusion. Incompressible blood transfusions concern urgent surgery, acute bleeding (including some patients with COVID-19, especially under high anticoagulation), or are supportive for chemotherapy-induced aplasia or chronic anemia. Lockdown results in a decrease of blood donation by cancellation of mobile donation but with little impact on a short period by mobilization of usual donors. No mismatch between demand and donation was evidenced and no planned restriction to blood transfusion was necessary.
Keywords: COVID-19; blood donation; lockdown; transfusion.
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