medigraphic.com
ISSN 2007-6509 (Print)
Órgano oficial de la Asociación Mexicana de Medicina Transfusional A.C.

2026, Number 1

Next >>

Rev Mex Med Transfus 2026; 18 (1)

Evolution of the gap between production and transfusion of red blood cell units in the Chilean public system between 2013 and 2024

Díaz PA, Vergara SD

Language: Spanish
References: 26
Page: 5-13
PDF size: 268.98 Kb.


ABSTRACT

Introduction: red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is an essential medical procedure, whose availability depends on blood donation and how it is managed by the health system. Objective: to analyze the evolution of the gap between production, demand, and transfusion of RBC units in the Chilean public health system between 2013 and 2024. Material and methods: a descriptive, observational, retrospective study was conducted using data from the monthly statistical summaries (REM) available f rom the Department of Health Statistics and Information (DEIS). Results: at the national level, RBC production exceeded the number of units transfused, with an average surplus of 20,078 units. The macrozone analysis revealed significant disparities: the Metropolitan and Austral macrozones maintained constant surpluses, while the Northern macrozone showed sustained deficits. Conclusions: Chile’s centralized blood services model stands out for its ability to cover broad areas and respond effectively to fluctuations in RBC demand, compensating for low local production. However, challenges such as population aging, logistics, and inequalities in transfusion infrastructure must be addressed to improve planning and management of the transfusion system.


REFERENCES

  1. Cortés Buelvas AD. Aplicaciones y practica de la medicinatransfusional. Tomo I [Internet]. Colombia: Armando CortésBuelvas; 2012. Disponible en: https://gciamt.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/TOMO-I-Aplicaciones-y-Practica-de-Medicina-Transfusional-ORIGINAL.pdf

  2. Balafas S, Gagliano V, Di Serio C, Guidugli GA, Saporito A, GabuttiL et al. Differential impact of transfusion guidelines on bloodtransfusion practices within a health network. Sci Rep. 2023; 13(1): 6264. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-33549-6.

  3. Guo K, Song S, Qiu L, Wang X, Ma S. Prediction of red blood celldemand for pediatric patients using a time-series model: a singlecenterstudy in China. Front Med (Lausanne). 2022; 9: 706284. doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.706284.

  4. Jacques FD, Julmisse SC, Laurore AC, Lefruit RM, Chery MJ,Dubique K. Red blood cell transfusion in a tertiary Haitianhospital’s emergency department: patient characteristics andavailability challenges. Int J Emerg Med. 2024; 17 (1): 128. doi: 10.1186/s12245-024-00672-8.

  5. Ministerio de Salud. Política Nacional de Servicios deSangre [Internet]. Chile: 2008. Disponible en: https://www.centrosangreconcepcion.cl/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/politicanacionaldesangre.pdf

  6. Organización Panamericana de la Salud. Suministro desangre para transfusiones en los países de América Latinay el Caribe 2020 [Internet]. Washington, D.C.: OrganizaciónPanamericana de la Salud; 2024. Disponible en: https://iris.paho.org/bitstream/handle/10665.2/60175/OPSIMTQR230003_spa.pdf?sequence=5&isAllowed=y

  7. Ali A, Auvinen MK, Rautonen J. The aging population poses a globalchallenge for blood services. Transfusion. 2010; 50 (3): 584-588. doi:10.1111/j.1537-2995.2009.02490.x.

  8. Madrazo-González Z, García-Barrasa A, Rodríguez-Lorenzo L,Rafecas-Renau A, Alonso-Fernández G. Actualización en anemiay terapia transfusional. Med Intensiva [Internet]. 2011; 35 (1): 32-40.Disponible en: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medin.2010.03.013

  9. Liu WJ, Chen YY, Hsu LI, Chen JW, Wei ST, Hou SM. An imbalancein blood collection and demand is anticipated to occur in the nearfuture in Taiwan. J Formos Med Assoc. 2022; 121 (8): 1610-1614. doi:

  10. 10.1016/j.jfma.2021.07.027.10. Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas. Presentación nacional: Censo dePoblación y Vivienda 2024 [Internet]. Santiago de Chile: InstitutoNacional de Estadísticas; 2025. Disponible en: https://censo2024.ine.gob.cl/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Presentacion_nacional_CPV2024.pdf

  11. Global Burden of Disease Collaborative Network. Global burdenof disease study 2019 (GBD 2019) results [Internet]. Seattle (WA):Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME); 2020. Availablein: https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/

  12. Akita T, Tanaka J, Ohisa M, Sugiyama A, Nishida K, Inoue S etal. Predicting future blood supply and demand in Japan with aMarkov model: application to the sex- and age-specific probabilityof blood donation. Transfusion. 2016; 56 (11): 2750-2759. doi: 10.1111/trf.13780.

  13. Greinacher A, Weitmann K, Lebsa A, Alpen U, Gloger D,Stangenberg W et al. A population-based longitudinal studyon the implications of demographics on future blood supply.Transfusion. 2016; 56 (12): 2986-2994. doi: 10.1111/trf.13814.

  14. Li N, Chiang F, Down DG, Heddle NM. A decision integrationstrategy for short-term demand forecasting and ordering for redblood cell components. Oper Res Health Care. 2021; 29: 100290.doi: 10.1016/j.orhc.2021.100290.

  15. Kim OS, Ji S, Jung HW, Matthews SA, Cha YJ, Moon SD et al. Futureblood debt: projecting blood supply and demand of Korea basedon subnational population projections (2021-2050). J Korean MedSci. 2024; 39 (20): e168. doi: 10.3346/jkms.2024.39.e168.

  16. Dhingra N. International challenges of self-sufficiency in bloodproducts. Transfus Clin Biol. 2013; 20 (2): 148-152. doi: 10.1016/j.tracli.2013.03.003.

  17. Ministerio de Sanidad. Sistema Nacional de Salud. Actividad decentros y servicios de transfusión. Informe 2022 [Internet]. Madrid:Ministerio de Sanidad; 2023. Disponible en: https://www.sanidad.gob.es/profesionales/saludPublica/medicinaTransfusional/publicaciones/docs/Informe_Actividad2022.pdf

  18. Gutiérrez-Hernández Rita C, Madrigal-Anaya J. Suministro ydemanda de sangre durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Gac MédMéx. 2021; 157 (3): 55-67. doi: 10.24875/gmm.m21000475

  19. McGann PT, Weyand AC. Lessons learned from the COVID-19pandemic blood supply crisis. J Hosp Med. 2022; 17 (7): 574-576.doi: 10.1002/jhm.12843.

  20. Ngo A, Masel D, Cahill C, Blumberg N, Refaai MA. Blood bankingand transfusion medicine challenges during the COVID-19pandemic. Clin Lab Med. 2020; 40 (4): 587-601. doi: 10.1016/j.cll.2020.08.013.

  21. Organización Panamericana de la Salud. Acceso a sangre paratransfusión en países de América Latina y el Caribe 2023 [Internet].Washington, D.C.: Organización Panamericana de la Salud; 2025.Disponible en: https://www.paho.org/sites/default/files/2025-06/acceso-sangre-alc-2023.pdf

  22. Volken T, Buser A, Castelli D, Fontana S, Frey BM, Rüsges-Wolter I et al. Red blood cell use in Switzerland: trends anddemographic challenges. Blood Transfus. 2018; 16 (1): 73-82. doi:10.2450/2016.0079-16.

  23. Le Calvé S, Somme D, Prud’homm J, Corvol A. Blood transfusionin elderly patients with chronic anemia: a qualitative analysis ofthe general practitioners’ attitudes. BMC Fam Pract. 2017; 18 (1):76. doi: 10.1186/s12875-017-0647-8.

  24. Mortazavi H, Mohammadi A, Sharifian E, Firouzeh N, van BelkumA, Ghasemzadeh-Moghaddam H. The effect of aging on theepidemiology of blood transfusions in North Khorasan province,Iran. Am J Blood Res. 2023; 13 (1): 44-52.

  25. Osorio AF, Brailsford SC, Smith HK, Blake J. Designing the bloodsupply chain: how much, how and where? Vox Sang. 2018; 113 (8):760-769. doi: 10.1111/vox.12706.

  26. Pierskalla WP. Supply chain management of blood banks. In:Brandeau ML, Sainfort F, Pierskalla WP, editors. Operationsresearch and health care: a handbook of methods andapplications. Boston: Springer; 2005. pp. 103-145.




2020     |     www.medigraphic.com