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A novel strategy for screening blood donors for syphilis at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Ghana
Author(s) -
Sarkodie F.,
Ullum H.,
OwusuDabo E.,
OwusuOfori S.,
OwusuOfori A.,
Hassall O.
Publication year - 2016
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/tme.12279
Subject(s) - syphilis , medicine , rapid plasma reagin , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , blood donor , blood donations , donation , seroprevalence , immunology , serology , antibody , treponema , economics , economic growth
SUMMARY Objective To implement and describe a novel syphilis screening strategy for blood donors. Background The seroprevalence of syphilis in blood donors is often high in low‐ and middle‐income countries ( LMIC ) although the proportion of infectious donations is probably low. Syphilis screening may not happen at all; or the use of non‐specific screening tests, which have high false positive rates, results in many donations being discarded unnecessarily. This can have a critical effect on already inadequate blood supplies. Materials and Methods Blood donors were screened at the time of donation with an anti‐treponemal rapid diagnostic test ( RDT ) and blood collected irrespective of the result. Units screening negative for syphilis, human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV ) and hepatitis B and C were released to stock. RDT screen‐positive units were re‐tested with rapid plasma reagin ( RPR ) – units testing negative were released to stock and test‐positive units discarded. Results Of the 2213 blood donors, 182 (8·2%; 182/2213) screened positive by RDT . In addition, 38 out of these 182 (20·9%) were RPR positive on post‐donation testing. Over 2 months there was a 79% reduction in blood units discarded due to a positive syphilis screen. Conclusion In other LMIC , this novel strategy can contribute to improving blood safety without jeopardising blood supply.