Decrease in reported posttransfusion hepatitis. Contributions of donor screening for alanine aminotransferase and...

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Posttransfusion hepatitis (PTH) posed a significant risk.
• Hepatitis C/non-A, non-B (NANB) and hepatitis B were major concerns.
• Blood donor screening aimed to mitigate transfusion-transmitted infections.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of surrogate marker testing on PTH incidence.
• To assess changes in NANB and hepatitis B posttransfusion cases.
• To compare PTH trends with general hepatitis incidence.

Main Methods:

• Review of reported PTH cases from 1985 to 1988.
• Analysis of blood donor screening data for hepatitis B core antibody and alanine aminotransferase levels.
• Comparison of PTH incidence rates with background hepatitis rates in the general population.

Main Results:

• Overall PTH reports decreased by 61.5%.
• NANB PTH and hepatitis B PTH decreased by 75.4% and 84.5%, respectively.
• Surrogate testing, especially in 1987, showed a greater reduction in NANB PTH (50%) and hepatitis B PTH (35%) than background rates alone.

Conclusions:

• Blood donor surrogate testing substantially reduced the risk of NANB and hepatitis B PTH.
• A combination of donor screening and declining background hepatitis rates contributed to decreased transfusion-transmitted hepatitis.
• These findings highlight the effectiveness of public health interventions in blood safety.