Distribution and Frequency of ABO Blood Group and Rhesus (Rh) Factor in Voluntary Donors of a Blood Centre at Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Background: The ABO and Rhesus (Rh) blood group systems play a crucial role in transfusion medicine and are essential for ensuring safe blood transfusion practices. Knowledge of regional blood group distribution helps in efficient blood bank inventory management and planning donor recruitment strategies. Objective: To determine the distribution and frequency of ABO blood groups and Rhesus (Rh) factor among voluntary blood donors at a tertiary care hospital blood centre. Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital blood centre over a period of 24 years. A total of 61,438 voluntary blood donors who were found medically fit and successfully donated blood were included. Blood grouping was performed using standard antigen–antibody agglutination techniques with commercially available antisera. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and chi-square tests were applied to assess the significance of distribution patterns. Results: Among the study population, blood group O was the most common (33.65%), followed by blood group B (32.56%), blood group A (25.01%), and blood group AB (8.78%). Rhesus factor analysis revealed that 96.12% of donors were Rh positive, while 3.88% were Rh negative. The highest proportion of donors belonged to the 21–30 years age group, and male donors constituted the majority of the donor population. The distribution of ABO and Rh blood groups showed statistically significant variation (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The study highlights the predominance of blood group O and Rh-positive phenotype among voluntary blood donors in the studied population. The findings provide valuable baseline data for transfusion services and emphasize the importance of maintaining region-specific blood group databases to improve blood bank preparedness and emergency transfusion management.