title: Should autologous blood that tests positive for infectious diseases be used or discarded? A decision analysis approach.
abstract: Decision analysis was applied to the question of whether to keep or discard autologous blood donations that test positive for viral markers. The decision is reached by analyzing a series of different events that lead to different outcomes. The probability of each event must be estimated and a value ("utility") assigned to specific outcomes. The underlying assumptions of the analysis are reviewed. After assigning a probability to each event and a utility to each outcome, one can compute a probability (P*) that is compared to the likelihood that the autologous donor will need transfusion. If the probability of transfusion exceeds P*, then keeping the infectious unit is favored. Otherwise, discarding the infectious unit is preferred. The analysis argues against a single, uniform national policy regarding the disposition of infectious autologous units. The method outlined provides a rational basis for setting policy regarding a controversial issue in Transfusion Medicine.
authors: New England Deaconess Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors: W H
authors: WH
authors: Dzik
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Devarajan
mesh_terms: D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D011336:Probability