Introduction: Blood is the most important connective tissue in human body. Its importance can be stressed by the varied indications requiring blood transfusion. The ever increasing demands for blood makes it all the more precious to collect and store. Blood donation remains a humanitarian gesture and is the only way to ensure adequate blood in the blood banks. The discard of blood bags however is a harsh reality in blood banks which should be properly scrutinised and adequately dealt with. Materials and methods: This study was conducted at blood bank attached to a tertiary care center over a period of 5 years and 8 months. It is a retrospective study carried out since January 2013 to August 2018.all the Whole blood & blood components such as packed RBC (PRBC), fresh frozen plasma (FFP) & platelet concentrate (PC) discarded during this period were included in the study. Multiple ways to reduce the rates of discard have also been evaluated. Results: The total number of blood bags collected during our study period was 64,337 and the total number of components prepared was 42,848. The overall discard rate for whole blood, PRBCs, FFP & PC was 2.78%, 1.68%, 5.63% and 28.55% respectively. Conclusion: The commonest cause for whole blood discard was sub optimal amount of blood being collected, TTD positivity for PRBC, leakage for FFP, expiry for Platelets. Regular audits in blood bank can help in reducing discard rate & quality assurance.
