USE OF BLOOD DONATION HISTORY OF PEOPLE WITH HIV-INFECTION TO IDENTIFY RECIPIENTS AT RISK

Objective: To determine whether previous blood donations from HIV-posi tive patients posed a threat to recipients. Design: Interviewer-admini stered questionnaire survey. Setting: Regional HIV outpatient referral clinic for southern Alberta. Patients: All 478 patients attending the clinic from. May 1, 1993, to Mar. 31, 1994; 366 were excluded: 335 ha d not donated blood, and 31 could not provide reliable information reg arding possible donations. Interventions: Patients were asked at a rou tine clinic visit regarding the dates, frequency and location of previ ous blood donations. The Canadian Red Cross was informed, with patient consent, if the previous donations posed a potential risk of HIV tran smission. Outcome measures: Number of HIV-positive patients whose dona tions posed a possible or definite risk to recipients. Results: A tota l of 545 units of blood had been donated by the 112 patients in the st udy; 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 Cr oss through its ''look-back'' and ''trace-back'' protocols. Only I of the 13 patients found to be HIV positive by the Red Cross openly admit ted 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 p rovince other than the one where they had received their positive HIV test result. Conclusion: Asking HIV-positive patients about their bloo d donation history, although subject to recall bias, is a simple and i nexpensive method for identifying high-risk blood donations. The Red C ross should routinely be notified, with patient consent, of all donati ons posing a risk in order to enhance the prospect for identifying HIV -positive blood recipients.