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Efficacy of various methods of confidential unit exclusion in identifying potentially infectious blood donations
B R Loiacono1, G R Carter, C S Carter
1Department of Transfusion Medicine, Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health 20892.
Insights
Ballot and barcode methods for confidential unit exclusion (CUE) are effective in identifying infectious blood donations. These methods are superior to the call-back system for donor screening and ensuring blood safety.
Area of Science:
- Blood Transfusion Safety
- Infectious Disease Screening
- Public Health
Background:
- Ensuring blood supply safety is critical, especially for donors at increased risk of HIV exposure.
- Confidential Unit Exclusion (CUE) methods are employed to allow donors to anonymously exclude their donations.
- Various CUE methods exist, including ballot/barcode and call-back systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of different confidential unit exclusion (CUE) methods.
- To compare ballot/barcode CUE with the call-back system for identifying high-risk donations.
Main Methods:
- A survey of AABB institutional members was conducted.
- Data from 5,049,883 donations across 48 centers (June 1985-December 1987) were analyzed.
- Experience with ballot/barcode and call-back CUE methods was assessed.
Main Results:
- Ballot and barcode CUE methods were found to be effective adjuncts to donor screening.
- Both ballot and barcode methods demonstrated superiority over the call-back system.
- These findings highlight the importance of specific CUE strategies in blood donation.
Conclusions:
- Ballot and barcode CUE methods are superior to the call-back system for excluding potentially infectious units.
- Implementing effective CUE strategies is crucial for enhancing blood safety.
- These methods aid in identifying donations from donors at increased risk of HIV exposure.
Abstract:
To determine the efficacy of various methods of confidential unit exclusion (CUE) among donors at increased risk of HIV exposure, we surveyed AABB institutional members on their experience with 3 CUE methods: ballot or barcode, completed at the time of donation, and call-back, performed by the donor after leaving the donor center. From June 1985 to December 1987, 5,049,883 donations at 48 donor centers were evaluable for analysis. The results of this survey suggest that ballot and barcode methods of CUE are important adjuncts to other donor screening procedures in identifying potentially infectious units, and that both of these methods are superior to the call-back system of unit exclusion.
