Open AccessThe Risks of Autologous Predonation
Author(s) -
Baele Philippe L.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
transfusion alternatives in transfusion medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1778-428X
pISSN - 1295-9022
DOI - 10.1111/j.1778-428x.2000.tb00332.x
Subject(s) - medicine , autologous blood , intensive care medicine , surgery , blood transfusion , risk analysis (engineering)
SUMMARY As with any therapeutic modality, autologous predonation is not devoid of risks. Ten to fifteen years ago, w hen the risk of transmitting viral diseases by transfusing allogeneic blood was substantial, the balance of risks was obvious and autologous predeposit represented a suitable technique for most elective surgical procedures. Since the early eighties the risk of transmitting HBV, HCV, HIV and related viruses has decreased by a factor of 300 or more in most developed countries, as a result of improved donor selection and improved serological testing 1–5 . It remains true that the transfusion system, especially through its use of pooled products, potentially constitutes a very efficient way of spreading new infectious agents that escape available detection techniques. Like allogeneic blood, autologous blood also carries risks other than viral risks. It may therefore seem appropriate to reassessthe balance of risksfor autologous predeposit. By analogy with allogeneic transfusion, risks could be divided into risks to the donor, risks to the recipient, even if donor and recipient are meant to be the same person, and risksto third parties.