Prevalence of selected viral infections among temporarily deferred donors who returned to donate blood: American Red Cross blood donor study.
BACKGROUND
Health history questions are introduced into the predonation interview to identify blood donors believed to pose a higher risk of infectious diseases to recipients. This study assesses the current impact of some of those questions.


METHODS
Donor deferral and donation data were extracted from a research database of the American Red Cross. The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen or antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis C virus, or human T-lymphotropic virus was obtained for different groups of donors who were temporarily deferred in 2000 through 2001 and later returned to donate blood in 2000 through 2003. The results were compared with either first-time or repeat donors in 2000 through 2003, while controlling for differences in sex, age, and year of donation.


RESULTS
Of donors temporarily deferred in 2000 through 2001 who had had no donation or deferral during the previous 2 years, only 22.08 percent subsequently returned to donate blood in 2000 through 2003. Donations from returning donors who had been deferred for potential infectious disease risk did not show a higher prevalence for any of the viral markers when those with no donation or deferral during the previous two years were compared with first-time donations, and those with prior donation were compared with repeat donations.


CONCLUSIONS
Blood donors temporarily deferred in 2000 through 2001 for potential risk of viral infection who later returned to donate blood did not appear to pose a higher risk compared to first-time or repeat donors. The effectiveness of some of the currently used deferral questions in reducing viral risks warrants further study.
Zou
Shimian
S
Transmissible Diseases Department, Jerome H. Holland Laboratory for the Biomedical Sciences, American Red Cross, Rockville, Maryland 20855, USA. zous@usa.redcross.org
Musavi
Fatemeh
F
Notari
Edward P
EP
Fujii
Karen E
KE
Dodd
Roger Y
RY
D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006800:Deltaretrovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D015528:HIV Seroprevalence; D006306:Health Surveys; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control; D008297:Male; D012011:Red Cross; D012306:Risk; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014766:Viremia / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D015415:Biomarkers; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens