Evaluating The Impact Of NAT And RDT On Donor Screening And Blood Safety In A High-Volume Medical Center

Abstract

Background: Blood safety is a major concern in transfusion medicine. This study explored how new donor screening methods, such as Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) and Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs), help improve the detection of transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) at a tertiary care hospital in Jeddah.

Methods: A retrospective mixed-methods study was conducted between January and August 2025. The quantitative part included an analysis of 18,247 donor records screened with Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT), Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs), and standard serological assays. Alongside this, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 12 staff members to understand their experiences in daily operations and the challenges they faced.

Results: Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) detected 23 cases of transfusion-transmissible infections (0.28%), Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) found 18 cases (0.40%), and serological assays confirmed 11 cases (0.20%). The results showed that TTI positivity was higher among male donors, people aged 30 years and above, and first-time donors. From the staff interviews, several themes appeared: NAT was seen as having strong diagnostic benefits, RDTs were useful in urgent situations, and there was a clear need for better system integration, regular staff training, and updated national guidelines.

Conclusion: New methods for donor screening have made blood transfusion safer. However, there are still some problems in how these methods are used. Making better rules and using digital tools could help improve blood transfusion in hospitals with high demand.