Seroprevalence of Transfusion Transmitted Infections in Blood Donors and Analysis of Response to Subsequent Counselling Using the SPIKES Protocol: A Five-Year Retrospective Study

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Published Jul 27, 2026

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Varun Prasad
Assistant Professor, Department of Anaesthesiology, Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali Government Institute Of Medical Sciences and Research, Srinagar, Pauri Garhwal Uttarakhand.
Jyoti Mishra
Professor, Department of Pathology, Kalyan Singh Government Medical College, Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Srijan Srivastav
Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, Pt. Ram Sumer Shukla Smriti Govt Medical College Rudrapur, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand.
Natasha Singh
Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, Kalyan Singh Government Medical College, Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Richa Garg
Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, Kalyan Singh Government Medical College, Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Govind Kumar Mishra
Assistant Professor, Department of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Kalyan Singh Government Medical College, Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Abstract

Background


Transfusion-transmitted infections (TTIs) remain a significant challenge to blood safety despite advances in donor screening. Timely notification and counselling of seroreactive donors are essential to prevent secondary transmission and ensure appropriate medical care. The SPIKES protocol, originally developed for breaking bad news in oncology, has recently been adapted for counselling seroreactive blood donors.


Objectives


To determine the seroprevalence of TTIs among blood donors and evaluate donor response to post-donation notification and counselling using the SPIKES protocol.


Materials and Methods


A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care blood centre over five years (June 2016–May 2021). 18,750 blood donations took place in given time period. All donations were screened for HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), syphilis, and malaria according to national guidelines. Seroreactive donors were contacted through telephone and postal communication, followed by counselling using the SPIKES protocol.


Results


Among 18,750 donors, 18,240 (97.3%) were males and 510 (2.7%) were females. Overall seroreactivity was 1.31% (246 donors). HBV was the most common TTI (0.73%), followed by HCV (0.29%), syphilis (0.16%), HIV (0.11%), and malaria (0.02%). Of the 246 seroreactive donors, 189 (76.8%) responded to the first telephone call, 28 (11.4%) after the second call, and 10 (4.1%) after postal notification. Nineteen donors (7.7%) could not be contacted. Overall counselling success was 92.3%. A statistically significant association was observed between voluntary donation and counselling compliance (p=0.03).


Conclusion


HBV constituted the predominant hypothetical TTI among blood donors. Structured communication using the SPIKES protocol demonstrated high counselling compliance and may improve donor acceptance, follow-up, and referral.


 

Keywords:

Blood donors, Transfusion-transmitted infections, seroprevalence, counselling, SPIKES protocol, Blood safety

Article Details

Issue
Vol. 4 No. 3 (2026)
Section
Original Research Article