BackgroundHaematological abnormalities have been documented as strong independent predictors of morbidity and mortality in HIV-infected individuals. Those infected with HIV without antiretroviral treatment (ART) have a high prevalence of abnormal blood cells. HIV-1 induced dyserythropoiesis in conjunction with the effects of HIV-related inflammation and/or chronic immune activation. The objective of the study is to identify and characterise the different red cell morphological changes that occur during the evolution of HIV infection in patients according to clinical, biological and therapeutic variables.MethodsA total of 232 patients infected by HIV were included in this cross-sectional and descriptive study conducted at the Douala General Hospital (Cameroon) from June to December 2015. All the patients were screened for red blood cells abnormalities. Blood samples were taken in EDTA tubes for full blood counts (FBC) and blood films. chi-square test was used to compare the variables, and the statistical significance level adopted was p-value under 0.05.ResultsThree quarters of patients in our study had abnormal quantitative or qualitative red blood cells, giving a prevalence of 77.5%. The mean value of haemoglobin was 11.9 g/dl with a prevalence of anemia at 61.2% for all participants. The main red blood cells abnormalities were the anisocytosis (43.1%), the anisochromia (34.5%), the macrocytosis (24.1%), the microcytosis (13.8%), the hypochromia (12.9%) and the poikilocytosis (12.5%). These abnormalities are statistically significant and are dependent on the severity of the anaemia the WHO clinical stage, the ART duration and the medication regime with all p< 0.05.ConclusionsThe frequency of cytological abnormalities of red blood cells is high during HIV infection and proportional to the severity of the anemia, the duration of antiretroviral therapy diet and its clinical evolution stage. We recommend that reading blood films is systematic of FBC prescription in the monitoring of HIV-infected patients.

Blood transfusion is a substitute therapy which consists to administered blood or one of its components to one or more sick person. hematological components retain their stability if the cold chain is maintained between 2 and 6°C. essential for good transfusion performance. The aim of this work was to evaluate the stability of haemogram parameters under the influence of cold chain on whole blood bags seronegative from infections transmissible by blood transfusion (ITT). Methodology: A cohort of 200 blood collected into the citrate phosphate dextrose adenine (CPDA) blood bag collected consecutively at the blood transfusion center of the Douala General Hospital constituted the population of the study conducted from March 1st to September 30th, 2018. 5ml of this blood from the donor’s blood bag was collected into a dry tube (for the blood count using URIT 3000 Plus machine) and the rest was stored in a BIOBASE brand refrigerator at a temperature between 2 and 6. On the day of delivery, a second sample was taken by section of the tubing of the bag for the analysis of a second haemogram of the same blood bags. Temperature, refrigerator opening frequency and blood were collected every day. Data analysis was done using by SPSS 20.0 for Windows software. The results were considered significant at p˂0.05. Results: The storage temperature significantly (p˂0.05) decrease the rate of leukocytes, erythrocytes and hemoglobin. When the shelf life and the frequency of opening the refrigerator increased, hemoglobin, hematocrit, MCV and lymphocyte decreased significantly while leukocyte, MCHC, thrombocytes and granulocytes increase significantly. Conclusion: This study showed that, the decrease in leukocytes, red blood cells and hemoglobin levels was significantly related to shelf life and frequency of opening the refrigerator. Knowledge on this variation could be very useful in the selection of refrigerated blood or pint and the efficiency of transfusion.

Introduction: The prescription of biological examinations is the first step in guaranteeing the quality of the results of the biological analyzes given by the laboratory. Indeed, the irregularity of requests for biological examinations makes it difficult to carry out and interpret the results and also compromises the optimal and rational use of the diagnostic aid tool that is the clinical biology laboratory. The purpose of this study was to assess the compliance and quality of Biological Examinations Requests (BERs) at the Douala General Hospital (DGH) Material and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June 2022 in the clinical biology laboratory department of the DGH. The information provided on each request for examinations was evaluated using a technical sheet containing the evaluation grids of the ISO 15189 standard. Results: A total of 1765 BERs from 10 known clinical departments and 5.20% (n = 91) with no details on the department were analyzed. Prescriber qualification was absent in 13.31% (n=235), clinical information was notified in 23.79% (n=420), prescriber contact in 2.89% (n=51). The compliance assessment revealed that 49% (n=867) requests were non-compliant. Furthermore, a correlation was observed between non-compliant BERs and the internal medicine department (OR = 0.52 and P-value = 0.038) and medical specialists (OR = 0.576 and P-value = 0.048) with a significant association. Conclusion: It was observed that the non-compliant BERs lacked information identifying the patient, the prescriber, as well as the examination/sample. The ISO standard recommends the accuracy of this information. Because their absence would make it impossible to carry out the examinations, waste of time searching for the service/prescriber for additional information or for the return of the results. These results suggest an improvement in practices in the prescription of medical biology analyzes at the DGH in particular and in Cameroon in general.

Background: Blood transfusion is a life-saving intervention, but that can also promote transmission of various infectious and parasitic diseases. To assure safe blood transfusion, all donor are systematically screened for transfusion-transmissible infections including HIV, hepatitis (B and C) and syphilis. However, less attention is paid for other endemic curable infections caused by hemoparasites such as malaria, and that may represent a threat for the safety of blood transfusion. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of transfusion-transmittable infections and hemoparasites in blood donors at the general hospital of Douala, with more emphasis on Plasmodium the causative agent of malaria.Methodology: Donated blood were first screened for HIV, Hepatitis (B & C) and syphilis infections. After exclusion of HIV, Hepatitis and syphilis infected bloods, the remaining ones were examined for the presence of hemoparasites including Plasmodium and microfilariasis species under light microscopy, after staining thick blood smears with Giemsa solution.Results: A total of 410 people were received at the Douala General Hospital and 37 (9.02%) were excluded based on exclusion criteria. Of the 373 pre-qualified donors, 41 (10.99%) were found infected by at least one viral or syphilis infections, and their blood was disqualified for transfusion. The seroprevalence of HIV, HVB, HVC and syphilis was 3.48%, 4.83%, 1.88% and 1.07% respectively. Only two hemoparasite species namely Loa loa and P. falciparum were found, but the prevalence of asymptomatic malaria (11.78%) was by far higher than that of microfilariasis (0.60%). However, malaria parasitemia was in most of cases low, with estimated densities ranging between 1 and 50 trophozoïtes/µl. Conclusion:We concluded that HIV and HBV are the greatest threats to blood safety in Douala, while underlining the necessity to test potential donors using rapid tests in order to avoid collection, manipulation and destruction of infected blood. The study also revealed moderate but non-negligible prevalence of asymptomatic P. falciparum infection in qualified blood samples, highlighting serious risk of transmission of this hemoparasite to receivers. We therefore re-advocate that all blood samples be additionally screened for malaria before transfusion in Cameroon where malaria is endemic in most parts of the country.