Introduction

The discard rate of blood services as a crucial quality metric for monitoring and enhancing blood safety within blood bank operations. This study investigated the prevalence and underlying causes of discarded blood and its associated components at a blood center in China.

Materials and Methods

This retrospective analysis examined data pertaining to discarded blood and its components from 2019 to 2022. Information was retrieved from the blood center's electronic blood information management system.

Results

A total of 71,346 units of whole blood and blood components (representing a discard rate of 2.34%) were discarded. The discard rates exhibited variation across different blood components: whole blood (0.15%), red blood cells (2.24%), fresh frozen plasma (4.20%), frozen plasma (5.05%), cryoprecipitate antihemophilic factor (0.91%), platelets (0.33%), and washed red blood cells (0.03%). Statistical analysis revealed a significant association (P < 0.05) between the reasons for discarding blood and the actual discard events.

Conclusion

This study presents a comparative analysis of discard rates and their corresponding justifications within a single blood center in China. The findings contribute to the advancement of quality control measures for blood and its components within blood service operations.