Use of blood donation history of people with HIV infection to identify recipients at risk.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether previous blood donations from HIV-positive patients posed a threat to recipients.


METHODS
Interviewer-administered questionnaire survey.


METHODS
Regional HIV outpatient referral clinic for southern Alberta.


METHODS
All 478 patients attending the clinic from May 1, 1993, to Mar. 31, 1994; 366 were excluded: 335 had not donated blood, and 31 could not provide reliable information regarding possible donations.


METHODS
Patients were asked at a routine clinic visit regarding the dates, frequency and location of previous blood donations. The Canadian Red Cross was informed, with patient consent, if the previous donations posed a potential risk of HIV transmission.


METHODS
Number of HIV-positive patients whose donations posed a possible or definite risk to recipients.


RESULTS
A total of 545 units of blood had been donated by the 112 patients in the study; 57 units (donated by 29 patients) posed a possible risk, and 12 (given by 11 patients) posed a definite risk of HIV transmission to the recipients. Thirty-two of these donors had been unknown to the Red Cross through its "look-back" and "trace-back" protocols. Only 1 of the 13 patients found to be HIV positive by the Red Cross openly admitted donating blood to undergo HIV antibody testing; the remainder were either ill-informed or did not perceive themselves to be at risk. The patients were highly mobile, 36.7% donating blood at some time in a province other than the one where they had received their positive HIV test result.


CONCLUSIONS
Asking HIV-positive patients about their blood donation history, although subject to recall bias, is a simple and inexpensive method for identifying high-risk blood donations. The Red Cross should routinely be notified, with patient consent, of all donations posing a risk in order to enhance the prospect for identifying HIV-positive blood recipients.
Gill
M J
MJ
Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alta.
Meyers
G
G
Rajwani
A
A
D000328:Adult; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000635:transmission*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000592:standards*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D065227:Transfusion Reaction