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Microbiology confirmatory tests for blood donors
1Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service Microbiology Reference Unit, Glasgow, UK.
Blood Reviews
|July 22, 1999
Summary
Scottish blood donations undergo screening for HBsAg, HIV, HCV, and syphilis. Confirmatory labs meticulously verify positive results, distinguishing true infections from false positives using established algorithms.
Area of Science:
- Transfusion Medicine
- Virology
- Immunology
Background:
- Scottish blood donations are screened for Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), anti-HIV 1+2, anti-HCV, and syphilis antibodies.
- Approximately 1% of donations show repeat reactivity, necessitating further investigation to confirm true infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the role and methods of confirmatory laboratories in verifying blood donation screening results.
- To highlight the challenges posed by false positives and the importance of confirmatory algorithms.
Main Methods:
- Utilizes a battery of serological tests applied in a defined sequence (confirmatory algorithms) for each marker.
- Employs established confirmatory algorithms to differentiate true positives from false positives.
Main Results:
- Confirmatory laboratories play a crucial role in identifying true infections among repeatedly reactive donations.
- Confirmatory algorithms are essential for accurate verification of screening results.
Conclusions:
- The current serological confirmatory process is vital for blood safety in Scotland.
- Future challenges include adapting confirmatory laboratories to new technologies like PCR for enhanced accuracy.