Prevalence of oral conditions and feasibility of self-reported oral conditions (SROC) questionnaire for screening voluntary blood donors

Background and aim of the work: Oral conditions like caries, periodontitis, abscess, and pericoronitis can cause significant bacteremia. Blood donors with oral conditions may pose a potential risk to transfusion recipient. Hence, we aimed evaluate the prevalence of oral conditions and the feasibility of a self-reported oral conditions questionnaire for screening of blood donors. Research design and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among voluntary blood donors attending out-reach camps in Udupi district, India using consecutive sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was designed in English to capture information on age, sex and four self-reported oral conditions rated as yes/no or dont know. A calibrated dentist evaluated decayed teeth, pulpal involvement, periodontitis, pericoronitis, abscess, or purulent discharge. The blood collected from donors with potential for bacteremia were sent for bacterial culture and sensitivity tests. Results: A total of 351 voluntary blood donors participated with a mean age of 39.12. Decayed teeth (59%) were the most prevalent oral condition, followed by periodontitis (29.1%) and decay with pulpal involvement (25.9%). The sensitivity and specificity for self-reported decayed teeth was 63.8% and 95.8%, respectively. The self-reported pain in gums and teeth showed above 80% specificity versus decayed teeth (81.9%), decayed teeth with pulpal involvement (82.3%), and periodontitis (82.7%). The specificity values for self-reported gum disease and infections in the mouth versus periodontitis were 72.7 and 77.1%, respectively. Conclusions: Decayed teeth, periodontitis, and tooth decay with pulpal involvement were common conditions among blood donors. Self-reported questions may be adopted to aid in identifying donors and to re-evaluate for blood donation to implement safe practices. (www.actabiomedica.it).