Emergency paediatric blood transfusion practices in Mozambique

Objectives: To analyse adherence to World Health Organization (WHO) indications for transfusion requests and capacity to meet the demand in the paediatric emergency units of a tertiary hospital in Mozambique. Background: Severe anaemia is a relevant paediatric problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. Transfusion can be a life-saving intervention, but in this setting, blood supply is often limited, and there is a high risk of transfusion-related complications. Methods/materials: Data were gathered from transfusion request forms (n = 3161) sent from the Pediatric Emergency Unit (n = 2319) and Neonatology (n = 842) to the blood bank of the Central Hospital of Beira for the years 2015 to 2016. Results: We found that 22% of transfusion recipients had haemoglobin levels greater than WHO recommendations. For patients within the WHO guidelines, 3% were not given transfusions. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that there may be room for education on when transfusion should be given. By optimising the allocation of limited blood supply, all children with an effective indication for transfusion could probably receive it. This objective could be achieved through the implementation of national transfusion guidelines and health care provider training.