Activity of Blood Transfusion Service in the Czech Republic 1989–2013

Overview

Blood transfusion service (BTS) in the Czech Republic is provided by two types of institutions, different in principal. Majority of blood establishments (BE) who collect blood and process blood into blood components works as a department of a hospital or it is indirectly linked with a hospital. Blood banks who supply hospitals with blood components are either a part of “blood establishment”, either they run their services in bigger hospitals without blood establishment (often merged with haematology and/or biochemistry). Number of facilities collecting blood is not changing over the years, but increasing number of these “collecting centres” send collected blood to be processed and tested in bigger centre. Second part of Blood transfusion service consists of independent plasmapheretic centres which produce exclusively plasma for fractionation, these centres extend their services especially after 2008. Blood and blood components are collected nearly exclusively from voluntary, non-remunerated donors, plasmacentres usually compensate their donors for time and inconvenience. Donor population is stable and relatively safe, but registry of donors giving whole blood is slowly growing smaller. Both prevalence and incidence of infectious disease markers are low and remarkable lower in “hospital based” BTS compared to donors of plasmapheretic centres (especially for hepatitis C). Moreover prevalence/incidence of infections, excepting HIV, among blood donors are decreasing. Production of blood components is stable over the years, country is self-sufficient in blood components: circa 40 red blood cell units per 1000 inhabitants; spectrum of products shifted from whole blood and red cells resuspended in plasma to buffy-coat free packed red cells in additive solutions either leucodepleted products. Predeposit autologous programme is popular. Circa 3.2 therapeutic doses of platelets per 1000 inhabitants are available and the production is continuously increasing, nearly 80 % platelets are produced by apheresis. Consumption of plasma for clinical purposes (6 months quarantine) has increased in late 90-ties and still remains higher than in Western countries. Over 550 tons of plasma is sent for industrial fractionation in the last years – well enough to cover needs of plasma derived proteins. Transfusion policy differs in different hospitals even though several recommendations based on expert opinion are available for clinical use of blood. Severe adverse effects of transfusion are relatively rare.

Key words:
Czech Republic, Blood Transfusion Service, blood components, production, consumption, adverse reactions to transfusion