The decreasing risk of transfusion-associated AIDS

Article Abstract:

The purity of the world's blood supply is of concern to both the general public and the medical community. Recent research has established that 95 percent of the recipients of blood transfused from HIV infected donors themselves become infected and that approximately half of those infected will eventually develop AIDS. It has also been suggested that the level of viral particles that are contained within the donor's blood may vary with the stage of their infection and that this "viral burden" may affect the rate of development of the disease in the transfusion recipient. Other research, however, shows that HIV infections by tainted transfusions currently compose only a very small number of cases, on the order of only 1 for 153,000 units of blood. This study also showed a decrease of 30 percent per year in the risk of acquiring AIDS by transfusion during the period from April 1985 to December 1987. Although donated blood that tests positively for HIV is discarded, there is widespread and erroneous belief that the blood supplies are currently unsafe. Future strategies must prevent donation of blood from individuals who are at high risk for infection by the virus but who do not at the time test positively. Screening procedures using both blood testing and personal interviews must be improved. Current practice encourages individuals including those at high risk to donate blood in order to obtain free testing for HIV. Strategies which use skin color or gender to exclude certain donors have been proposed, but such solutions are not socially acceptable. In spite of all recent problems, the blood supply is currently very safe, and is becoming increasingly safer.

Blood collection and preservation, Health risk assessment, Blood donors, Blood donation, editorial

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Exposure of patients to human immunodeficiency virus through the transfusion of blood components that test antibody-negative

Article Abstract:

The AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) epidemic has focused the attention of the general public and the medical community on the quality and safety of the blood supply. Data drawn from the American Red Cross blood donors program (over 17 million donations) was statistically evaluated to obtain new estimates regarding the risk of transmission of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) by the blood supply. Blood obtained between April 1985 and December 1987, was screened for the presence of HIV by two methods: an immunologic technique known as an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and a genetic method that analyzes the patient's blood for the inclusion of virus genetic material within the patient's own genetic material (Western blot test). Blood which tested positive using the immunologic method repeatedly was discarded after being subjected to the Western blot method for additional confirmation. The odds of being transfused with the blood drawn from a patient infected with undetected HIV are extremely low; during 1987 an estimated 131 units of such blood might have been used in the U.S. For an individual, the probability of receiving HIV from a single unit of blood is 1 in 153,000. Since the average size of a transfusion is slightly over 5 units the probability still is very low (1 in 28,000 transfusions). Renewed screening efforts to identify and exclude high risk patients from the donor programs have yielded a current blood supply in which the risks of transfusion-transmitted diseases of all types are very low. The current blood bank supplies within the U.S. are probably safer now than at any time previously.

Methods, HIV (Viruses), HIV, American Red Cross, Immunoenzyme technique, Immunoenzyme techniques

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The risk of transfusion-transmitted infection

Article Abstract:

The risk of contracting an infection from a blood transfusion may have decreased with improved screening of blood donors and donor blood. Blood donors are screened for HIV infection, and blood banks routinely test donor blood for seven different infections. A research study found that transmission of hepatitis C virus has decreased since blood banks began routine testing for hepatitis C virus. Since this study was done, blood banks have started using new tests for HCV antibodies that are even more sensitive. The risk of contracting HIV infection or hepatitis B from a blood transfusion may be even lower than for hepatitis C. Routine testing of donor blood has decreased the transmission of human T-cell lymphotropic viruses types I and II. The risk of transfusion-transmitted infections can also be decreased by autologous (self) blood donation and by avoiding unnecessary blood transfusions.

Editorial, Safety and security measures, Virus diseases, Donation of organs, tissues, etc., Tissue donation

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