Abstract
Given the current organisation of blood transfusion services in the Czech Republic, information regarding donor categories, frequency of donations and representation of individual types of donation or donor age is scant. Even these basic data are difficult to interpret as far as some of the information is concerned.
More detailed information regarding the number of donors of different categories, frequency of donations, age and blood type is missing. In this study, 12 independent blood transfusion services (BTS) of different types (university or regional hospitals, small county hospitals) and from different regions were asked to provide well defined sets of information (based on the format of the EU DOMAINE project) regarding donors in their registries in 2008 and 2016 with the aim of identifying trends and predicting future options.
The selected BTS perform nearly 1/3 of all blood collections in the country, thus providing a robust sample. In general, there was a slight increase in blood donations, whereby slightly more persons donated blood in selected BTS in 2016 compared to 2008.
This increase does not indicate an increased activity of transfusion services in the Czech Republic as a whole, but rather reflects the gradual yet slight centralisation of whole blood collection and processing. Over the same period, the number of first-time donors dropped and the proportion of first-time donors decreased.
The mean age of active blood donors and even the mean age of first-time donors have increased significantly. This negative trend may represent a risk for blood transfusion services in the future.
These services should thus react appropriately to guarantee an adequate supply of blood components and national self-sufficiency in the future.