Enhancing the Medical Selection Process of Blood Donors: Examining the Correlation between Body Mass Index and Hemoglobin Levels

Medical selection of blood donors is the first link in the transfusion safety chain. It enables us to identify any factors which might temporarily or permanently render a person unfit to donate blood. Indeed, blood donation safety is a crucial issue worldwide. In response to this situation, the World Health Organization (WHO) has taken initiatives. C？te d’Ivoire has joined them; however, shortcomings persist, particularly in the medical selection of blood donors. This study was carried out to determine the existence of a correlation between BMI and hemoglobin levels in blood donors at the Yamoussoukro Regional Blood Transfusion Centre. This analytical study took place at the Yamoussoukro Regional Blood Transfusion Center (CTS). It was carried out from March 15 to June 15, 2021. Old and new blood donors from the 2020 fixed blood drive at the said site were recruited according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were extracted from the PROGESA database of the Centre National de Transfusion Sanguine de C？te d’Ivoire (CNTSCI). The 525 blood donors in the study were divided into 475 males (90%) and 50 females (10%). There was no correlation between BMI and hemoglobin. On the other hand, an assessment of nutritional status revealed that 316 blood donors (60%) were in good nutritional condition, 29 were underweight (5.5%) and 39 were obese (7.4%), including 13 (2%) who were severely obese. Apart from the lack of correlation between BMI and hemoglobin levels, this study highlights the need to introduce nutritional assessment into the medical selection criteria for blood donors in C？te d’Ivoire.