title: Papua New Guinea Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service: present status and future considerations.
abstract: About 28,000 units of blood are collected per annum. This is adequate for present needs. 11 donors have been found positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) since testing started in 1987, 8 of these in the last year and a half. No case of transmission of HIV by transfusion in Papua New Guinea has been established. Although the prevalence varies in different areas, on average 15% of donors are positive for hepatitis B. The impact of these figures, future requirements for quantity of blood and the need for additional testing of donations for hepatitis C (HCV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) will require clear evaluation of the choices and firm decisions.
authors.affiliation: Papua New Guinea Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, Boroko, Papua New Guinea.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Tozer
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001782:Blood Donors; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D001835:Body Weight; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D003657:Decision Making; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005544:Forecasting; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D010219:Papua New Guinea; D015995:Prevalence; D011674:Pulse; D012011:Red Cross; D065227:Transfusion Reaction
chemical_list: D015483:HIV Antibodies; D006454:Hemoglobins; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens