[Safety of the blood supply in Mexico from 1999 to 2003].
BACKGROUND
The incidence of the infection by the viruses of the human immunodeficiency (HIV), hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) has diminished enormously in developed countries during the last 20 years; nevertheless, in our country we do not know such an incidence and, therefore, the safety of our blood supply.


METHODS
We performed a retrospective analysis at the Centro Nacional de la Transfusión Sanguínea (CNTS) assessing 17,176,298 serologic tests including HIV, HCV and HBV carried on 5,725,432 blood units collected and informed to the CNTS from January 1999 to December 2003 by all the Mexican blood banks. Prevalence, incidence and residual risk of each one of the aforementioned serologic markers were calculated.


RESULTS
The five years mean prevalence for HIV, HBV and HCV has remained steady. The residual risk (RR) when hemagglutination test was employed was 1:977 for HCV; 1:1,564 for HBV and 1:1,262 for HIV. Whereas the RR when ELISA was performed decreased to 1:2,781 for HCV; 1:3,185 for HBV and 1:9,969 for HIV. If nucleic acid amplification test were employed, RR would be 1:8,170 for HBV; 1:9,915 for HCV and 1:19,939 for HIV.


CONCLUSIONS
The theoretical risk for transfusion-transmitted diseases in our country is still worrisome.
Vázquez-Flores
Jaime Alberto
JA
Centro Nacional de la Transfusión Sanguínea. patologiavazquez@hotmail.com
Valiente-Banuet
Leopoldo
L
Marín y López
Rafael Antonio
RA
Sánchez-Guerrero
Sergio Arturo
SA
D001771:Blood Banks / Q000592:standards*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008800:Mexico; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012449:Safety; D013997:Time Factors; D065227:Transfusion Reaction