| Summary: | Introduction: Provision of adequate safe blood is challenging in developing countries due to paucity of voluntary blood donors, poor facilities for storage and blood component preparation as well as inappropriate blood ordering and utilization. Appraisal of pattern of blood transfusion requests and utilization helps highlight shortcomings that could be addressed toward judicious use of blood. Aims: To determine the pattern of blood transfusion requests and utilization at a Nigerian Teaching Hospital. Materials and Methods: Blood request forms and cross-match worksheets at the blood bank of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) Sokoto were analyzed over a 3-month period. Number of blood units requested, cross-matched, or transfused and the cross-match to transfusion ratio (CTR) for clinical units were computed. Results: Of the 1703 units of blood requested for 986 patients, 94.42% (1608) were cross-matched but only 34.51% (555) were transfused giving a CTR of 2.90 for the hospital. The CTR for the various clinical units were: O and G - 3.40, Surgery - 3.11, Trauma center - 2.74, Emergency - 2.61, Medicine - 2.02, and Pediatrics - 1.97. Conclusions: The overall CTR of the hospital is high indicating suboptimal transfusion practice. Introducing transfusion guidelines and type and screen with abbreviated cross-match method can help toward apt requisition and utilization of blood thereby reducing wastages.
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