Blood transfusion service in Poland in 2020

Background: The aim of this study was to present the basic aspects of the activity of Polish blood transfusion service (hereinafter referred to as Centers) in 2020, taking into account the conditions related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: Analysis of data forwarded to the Institute by the Polish Blood Transfusion Centers (Centers). Results: In 2020, 23 Centers and 136 local collection sites operated in Poland. Blood and blood components were also collected during 10,432 mobile collections. The overall number of blood donors was estimated at 569,914, the majority of which were non-remunerated donors (569,566, including 50,012 responders to donation appeals) as well as 25 remunerated donors and 323 autologous donors. Most frequent were whole blood collections (1,105,434) and the least frequent — granulocyte concentrate collections (82) and RBC collections by apheresis (16). Whole blood was collected mostly in local collection sites (46.84%), less frequently in Centers (30.62%) and mobile collection sites (22.54%). The most frequently prepared blood components were RBCs (1,089,978 units) and FFP (1,264,654 units). COVID-19 convalescent plasma was also collected (57 708 units). In 2020, a total of 77,485 units of PCs pooled from whole blood and 52,030 units of PCs from apheresis were prepared. Additional processing methods (leukocyte depletion, irradiation) were more frequently applied to PCs (55.47% leukodepleted, 44.53% both leuko-depleted and irradiated), than to RBC (21.03% leukodepleted, 9.85% both leukodepleted and irradiated, 0.06% irradiated). Pathogen inactivation technologies were applied to 14.21% of FFP units issued for clinical use and 11.01% of PCs. For various reasons the following amounts of blood components were wasted in 2020: 11,430 units of whole blood, 29,530 units of RBCs, 53,946 units of FFP, 1,691 units of apheresis PCs, 5,455 units of pooled PCs and 1,381 units of cryoprecipitate. As compared to the previous years, in 2020 almost all the indicators of the activity of the blood transfusion service in Poland have markedly decreased. Conclusions: The data presented in this study point to the significant impact that the COVID- 19 pandemic had on blood donation in Poland in 2020. The data may serve as a starting point for the analysis of issues related to the activity of organizational units of the Polish blood transfusion service and contribute to practical benchmarking. This in turn may prove beneficial to the transfusion community as a whole.