Background: Blood transfusion services prioritise the safety of both the donor and the recipient. Donors are taken through processes of interview, physical and medical examinations to ensure their qualification before donation. Their blood is screened for viral infections to ensure its safety but then, concerning medications and substance use, their answers are taken without any objective verification. This does not eliminate potential risks that may be related to these medications and substances. The study was aimed at establishing substance abuse among blood donors in Tamale.
Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed in conducting the study. A total 109 blood donors who were all males (100%) were conveniently sampled. Data for this study were collected through questionnaires and blood and urine specimens were collected for analysis. Data was entered into Microsoft Excel and exported to Graph prism for analysis. Statistical significance was defined as a p<0.05. Three major conclusions were drawn from the study's findings.
Result: These results include substance use among blood donors, prevalence outcomes, substance distribution, and variations in complete blood count parameters. A prevalence of 21.1% (23) drug users was found in the studies. Nonetheless, there were two types of substance users: single substance users and multiple substance users. Conclusion: Additionally, the study showed some alterations in complete blood count measures, including a decrease in white cell and platelet counts.
