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Failure of the revised pre‐donation guidelines to prevent people with a history of high‐risk behaviour from donating blood
Author(s) -
Neal K. R.,
Jones D. A.,
James V.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
transfusion medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.471
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1365-3148
pISSN - 0958-7578
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3148.1994.tb00276.x
Subject(s) - medicine , donation , blood donor , blood transfusion , family history , medical history , family medicine , surgery , immunology , economics , economic growth
SUMMARY. We have evaluated the effectiveness of the alteration in the literature aimed at the self‐exclusion of blood donors with a history of high‐risk behaviour. Since the introduction of anti‐HCV screening on 1 September 1991 all HCV‐positive donors in the Trent Region have been invited for interview by Blood Transfusion medical staff to ascertain risk factors for HCV infection. We have compared the 5‐month periods before (1 September, 1992 to 31 January, 1993) and after (1 February, 1993 to 30 June, 1993) the introduction of the amended literature on 1 February, 1993. No differences between the two time periods were noted for the prevalence rate of HCV infection amongst new or repeat donors, or history of risk factors or specific exclusion criteria. The new literature is failing to exclude people with a history of high‐risk behaviour from donating blood and further study of this problem is urgently required.