Accessibility of red blood cell components in the Czech Republic 2019–2021 – questionnaire-based survey of Blood Transfusion Services
Abstract
Blood components needed for hemotherapy in the Czech Republic are produced by a network of independent blood establishments. Blood components are provided to hospital blood banks and, after crossmatching, issued to clinical departments.
Information on production, distribution, and issue is collected and published regularly. Information on, how the needs of patients and clinical departments are met, however, is not generally available.
Therefore, the Czech Society of Blood Transfusion requested transfusion services and hospital blood banks to fill in a questionnaire on the availability of red blood cell components in the years 2019-2021. Data analysis shows that the general availability of red blood cell components is guaranteed and restriction of health care due to the shortage of red blood cell components is very rare.
Unfortunately, this requires great effort and the use of alternate or suboptimal procedures only. The situation slightly worsened during 2019-2021.
The gradual decrease in the number of first-time donors is an additional warning signal of the decreased stability and long-term sustainability of blood transfusion services.