Fam. Regan et al., Prospective investigation of transfusion transmitted infection in recipients of over 20 000 units of blood, BR MED J, 320(7232), 2000, pp. 403-406
Citations number
19
Categorie Soggetti
General & Internal Medicine","Medical Research General Topics
Objectives To follow up recipients of 20 000 units of blood to identify any
transmissions of infections through blood transfusion.
Design Follow up study of recipients of transfusion.
Setting 22 hospitals in north London.
Participant Adult patients who had recently been transfused.
Main outcome measures Patients had further blood samples taken at 9 months
that were tested for markers of hepatitis B and C and HIV and human T cell
leukaemia/lymphoma virus type I or II (HTLV) infections. Recent infections
were distinguished from pre-existing infections by comparison with blood sa
mples taken before transfusion.
Results 9220 patients were recruited, and 5579 recipients of 21 923 units o
f blood were followed up. No transfusion transmitted infections were identi
fied. The incidence of transfusion transmitted infections was 0 in 21 043 u
nits (95% confidence interval for risk 0 to 1 in 5706 recipients) for hepat
itis B; 0 in 21 800 units (0 to 1 in 5911 recipients) for hepatitis C; 0 in
21 923 units (0 to 1 in 5944 recipients) for HIV; and 0 in 21 902 units (0
to 1 in 5939 recipients) for human T cell leukaemia/lymphoma virus. Three
patients acquired hepatitis B during or after hospital admission but not th
rough transfusion; 176 (3%) had pre-existing hepatitis B infection. Sixteen
(0.29%) patients had hepatitis C, and five (0.09%) had human T cell leukae
mia/lymphoma virus.
Conclusions The current risk of transfusion transmitted infections in the U
nited Kingdom is very small, though hospital acquired infections may arise
from sources other than transfusion. A considerable proportion of patients
have pre-existing infections.