Transfusion of Blood Products in Children Receiving Chemotherapy for Childhood Cancers in a Nigerian Tertiary Healthcare Centre

Background: Transfusion of blood remains an integral component in the supportive care of children with cancers. It is generally safe, and should be used liberally when necessary and available. In resource-poor settings however, the availability and use of blood and its products is generally limited. This study is aimed at reviewing the use of the various blood components amongst children receiving care in a paediatric cancer unit of a tertiary hospital, in Southern Nigeria.

Methods: A retrospective study on blood and blood product usage, in hospitalized paediatric cancer patients younger than 18 years old, over a two-year period, spanning from January 2022 to December 2023. Data were retrieved, entered into an excel sheet and analyzed. Results are presented using tables and figures.

Results: Of the 32 children treated for various cancers, 29 (90.63%), received at least one unit of blood transfusion before, during or in-between cycles of treatment. Nephroblastoma was the most frequent cancer treated. Patients less than 5 years of age were the most transfused group. Fresh whole blood was the most transfused component. Leucopenia, was the commonest indication for transfusion in these patients.

Conclusion: Most of the children admitted for cancers received blood transfusion at least once before, or in-between cycles of chemotherapy and/or surgery. The most common indications for transfusion of blood in order of decreasing frequency were leucopenia, anaemia and thromocytopenia respectively.