Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Proper blood bank inventory management and safe, efficient blood transfusion services require a thorough understanding of ABO and Rh(D) blood group distributions in specific populations. The objective of this research was to evaluate the distribution of ABO and Rh blood types among different ethnic blood donors in the Hail region of Saudi Arabia and compare the results to those of other populations. METHODOLOGY: Data from 3,166 blood donors were analyzed retrospectively. Blood bank records provided sociodemographic information as well as blood group phenotypes. Descriptive statistics were employed. The distribution of ABO and Rh blood types was statistically examined using the chi-square test. RESULTS: The study identified a total of 3,166 blood donors, with the majority being males (3,083 (97.4%)). The median age of the donors was 35 years, with an interquartile range of 30-41 years. Of the cohort, 1,425 (45%) consisted of young donors, defined as individuals aged 30-41 years. The O blood type accounted for 1,409 (44.5%) of all types, making it the most prevalent. The next most common blood types were B at 837 (26.4%), A at 741 (23.4%), and AB at 179 (5.7%). When combined, O positive was the most prevalent type, accounting for 1,226 (38.7%) of the total. This was followed by type B positive at 745 (23.5%), type A positive at 651 (20.6%), O negative at 183 (5.8%), AB positive at 171 (5.3%), B negative at 92 (2.9%), A negative at 90 (2.8%), and AB negative at eight (0.3%). CONCLUSION: According to the results, out of all the ABO phenotypes, O was the most common. B, A, and AB came next. In addition, Rh(D) positivity was observed in 88.2% of the donors. These results have considerable consequences for blood transfusion strategies in the Hail region.