Experience with a transfusion recipient education program about hepatitis C.
Shortly after test kits for antibodies to the hepatitis C virus (HCV) were licensed in May of 1990, our medical community undertook a public education program encouraging previous transfusion recipients to see their physicians about the wisdom of being tested for anti-HCV. In response, 1034 samples were received for testing. All samples repeatably reactive (RR) with anti-HCV enzyme-linked immunoassay (EIA) were tested further with a research recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA). Overall, 76 of the 1034 (7.4%) recipient samples were RR and 64 of these (84.2%) were reactive with RIBA. Recipients transfused prior to surrogate testing (alanine aminotransferase [ALT] and anti-hepatitis B core [anti-HBc]) in 1986 showed a 8.6 percent reactivity with RIBA and those transfused after surrogate testing showed a 4.8 percent reactivity, a 44 percent reduction. Of the 57 recipient samples reactive with RIBA and suitable for assay, 11 (19.3%) had an elevated ALT. Among 76 randomly selected blood donors with RR EIAs studied for comparison with recipients, 20 (26.3%) were reactive with RIBA, 9 of which had an abnormal surrogate test that would have disqualified them. ALT concentrations were abnormal in 6 (30%) of the donors who were reactive on RIBA. We conclude that an education program that encourages previous transfusion recipients to seek medical advice about anti-HCV testing is practical from the standpoint of the blood center. We believe more widespread implementation of similar programs should be considered.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Zuck
T F
TF
Hoxworth Blood Center, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Ohio.
Rose
G A
GA
Dumaswala
U J
UJ
Geer
N J
NJ
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001782:Blood Donors; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006266:Health Education / Q000191:economics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
D000914:Antibodies, Viral