Confidential unit exclusion at the regional blood bank in Montes Claros - Fundação Hemominas

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at analyzing the rate of self-exclusion at the Regional Blood Bank in Montes Claros. METHODS: Data of self-excluding donors from August 2008 to August 2010 were analyzed. The following variables were considered: age, marital status, gender, ethnical background, blood group, Rh factor, number of donations, type of donation and serologic results. RESULTS: During the analyzed period, 34,778 individuals donated blood, 215 (0.62%) of which were self-excluded; 12% of donors did not answer, 6.3% ballots were spoilt and 13.6% of the responses were considered non-compliant. The profile of the donors was: male (81.9%), single (50.7%), aged between 19 and 29 years old (52.1%), Mulatto (48.3%), blood group O (32.1%) and positive Rh (32.1%). Most individuals were donating for the 2(nd)to 5(th) time (43.7%) and had negative serology (94.4%). CONCLUSION: It was not evident that self-excluding donors had higher rates of seropositivity.