Evaluation of the Performance of Copper Sulphate and Hemocue Methods for Haemoglobin Estimation Among Blood Donors in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Background: The National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) in Tanzania uses the Copper Sulphate (CuSO4) gravimetric method to estimate hemoglobin (Hb) blood donors. However, this and other point-of-care methods, including HemoCue, may provide false results. Therefore, study aimed evaluate performance of CuSO4 HemoCue methods for Hb estimation compared with automated haematology analyzer (AHA). Methods: cross-sectional was conducted among (N=204) donors Dar es Salaam. Capillary samples were obtained by 3 mls venous also collected quantification AHA (gold standard), method. Data analyzed Epi info 7.2.2.6, statistical significance defined at a P value <0.05, kappa agreement calculated. Results: median age participants 30 years (IQR: 20-39). proportion eligible 19.6%, deferral 2.9% specificity, sensitivity, positive negative predictive values, Kappa 28.6%, 95.9%, 78.0%, 72.7%, 0.1, respectively. In contrast, 62.5%, 98.6%, 87.4%, 94.6%, 0.63, Conclusion: Our revealed that is relatively poor, high than These findings warrant further studies quality control measures explore alternative similar resource limited-settings.