Department-Wise Analysis of Blood Supply and Demand Patterns in a Private Tertiary Care Hospital in south india : A Retrospective Observational Study

Abstract

Background:Blood is an adequate and timely supply that has lifesaving interventions in all departments of the hospital. Understanding department-specific demand and utilization trends facilitates optimal blood inventory management, minimizes waste, and ensures availability during emergency situations.

Objectives:The objectives are to analyse the department-wise demand and supply of blood and its components; identify the most frequently required blood groups; and determine case patterns that require transfusion in different clinical departments.

Methods:A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the hospital blood bank over a period of 10 months. The records were analysed for department-wise requisition, type of blood component, blood group distribution, and indication for transfusion. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel and statistically analysed using SPSS version 25.0. Descriptive statistics, frequency distributions, and Chi-square tests were applied.

Results:The demand for blood was highest in the Medicine Department(57%)among  blood requests analyzed, followed by Obstetrics & Gynecology(13%), Orthopedics(11%), General Surgery(9%), Pediatrics(4%), Oncology(4%), and emergency(2%). B positive(33.5%) was the most requested blood group, followed by O+(32%), A+(21%), AB+(7.5%), B-(2.3%), O-(2.17%), A-(1%), and AB-(1%). Whole blood and packed red cells constituted the majority of the transfused components. Indications included postpartum hemorrhage, trauma, anemia, and major surgeries.

Conclusion:There is considerable variation in blood demand across the departments, reflecting underlying clinical patterns. Continuous monitoring, departmental audits, and data-driven inventory planning are important components in ensuring transfusion safety with minimum shortages in tertiary care centers..