POSTMORTEM BLOOD-TESTS FOR HIV, HBV, AND HCV IN A BODY DONATION PROGRAM

A retrospective analysis of the results of blood tests conducted on bo dy donors received by the Anatomical Gift Registry of the Medical Coll ege of Wisconsin (MCW) was performed. Over the 5-year period from Apri l 1992 through March 1997 a total of 785 body donors were tested for H uman Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis B and C Viruses (HBV a nd HCV). Eighteen of the 785 donors (2.3%) tested positive for one of these infectious agents. Two donors were positive for HIV six were pos itive for HBV and ten were positive for HCV. The death certificates an d files of those donors who tested positive were reviewed and the resu lts are presented here. Blood testing prior to the use of the body don ors is an effective and reasonable way of identifying the presence of these infectious agents, thus reducing the risk to those who work with cadavers. The cost for the testing at MCW is about $60 per donor. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.