Premium
Planning for pandemic influenza: effect of a pandemic on the supply and demand for blood products in the United States
Author(s) -
Zimrin Ann B.,
Hess John R.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
transfusion
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.045
H-Index - 132
eISSN - 1537-2995
pISSN - 0041-1132
DOI - 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2007.01225.x
Subject(s) - pandemic , influenza a virus subtype h5n1 , medicine , rationing , influenza pandemic , transfusion medicine , health care , pandemic influenza , personal protective equipment , medical emergency , intensive care medicine , blood transfusion , environmental health , virology , immunology , covid-19 , virus , economic growth , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty) , pathology , economics
BACKGROUND: Influenza causes episodic pandemics when viral antigens shift in ways that elude herd immunity. Avian influenza A H5N1, currently epizootic in bird populations in Asia and Europe, appears to have pandemic potential. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The virology of influenza, the history of the 1918 pandemic, and the structure of the health care and the blood transfusion systems are briefly reviewed. Morbidity and mortality experience from the 1918 pandemic are projected onto the current health care structure to predict points of failure that are likely in a modern pandemic. RESULTS: Blood donor centers are likely to experience loss of donors, workers, and reliable transport of specimens to national testing laboratories and degradation of response times from national testing labs. Transfusion services are likely to experience critical losses of workers and of reagent red cells (RBCs) that will make their automated procedures unworkable. Loss of medical directors, supervisors, and lead technicians may make alternative procedures unworkable as well. CONCLUSIONS: Lower blood collection capacity and transfusion service support capability will reduce the availability of RBCs and especially of platelets. Plans for rationing medical care need to take the vulnerability of the blood transfusion system into account.