Background: The safety of blood and blood products is improved by stringent donor selection. Donor deferral, either temporarily or permanently is an important documentation towards safe blood transfusion. Thus it should be evaluated on regular basis. Aims: To analyze the donor deferral rate, to document the causes and their frequency distribution with respect to gender. Settings and Design: This was a prospective study conducted on potential donors registering in Blood bank, Navodaya Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre, Raichur, Karnataka. Detailed history taking, physical examination and screening tests on the blood units collected were performed. Methods and Material: This study was conducted over 2 years (Jan 2014 to Dec 2015). Donor request form was given and those who did not fulfill the donor selection criteria were deferred and analyzed. Results: A total of 6834 donors were registered for blood donation, of which 909 cases (13.3%) were deferred. Deferral rate was 89.2% among males and 10.8% among females. Majority were temporarily deferred- 704 cases (77.4%); most frequently due to low hemoglobin value (17.7%) followed by fever (14.3%). Permanent deferral category included 205 cases (22.6%); mainly due to Hepatitis B virus (HBV) seropositivity (44.9%) followed by hypertension (20.9%). Female donors were deferred more frequently (47%) than males (8.2%); commonest reason being low hemoglobin and fever in both. Conclusion: Donor deferral is beneficial for donors and recipients as it minimizes potential health problems within the community. Hence regular evaluation guides transfusion committee in modifying planning strategies to preserve donor pool.

Keywords: Blood Donor; Donor Deferral; Permanent; Temporary.