Introduction:

The province of Cienfuegos is self-sufficient to satisfy the actual transfusion demand. However, this situation could be modified due to the effects of population aging on health care service.

Objective:

To identify the relationship between donations and blood transfusions based on changes in population dynamics.

Methods:

Transversal descriptive study developed through documentary review. The number of inhabitants grouped according to the regulated age in Cuba to donate blood, the number of donations and transfused patients during the study period were included as variables, using the Spearman correlation coefficient (ρ) to establish the degree of relationship between them. The rates, percent and relative change between the extreme years of the series were calculated.

Results:

The composition of the age groups of the population was inclined towards aging with a 5% decrease in the number of inhabitants from 0 to 19 years, together with an increase of twice that value in the elderly. Donations decrease by about 8%, while the number of patients transfused increases by 33%. The existence of statistically significant direct and inverse correlations between the indicators studied is verified.

Conclusions.

The results of the research are suggestive of a relationship between the blood donationand blood transfusion indicators and the changes in the age structure of the population observed which, if the current trend continues, lead to periods of blood shortage for transfusions.

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