Blood Product (Donor) Noninfectious and Infectious Testing and Modification

Blood transfusion begins with safe donor selection and testing. In the United States, the blood supply and transfusion are highly regulated. Blood transfusion safety is multifaceted, whereby each of the elements of the blood safety value chain, spanning donor recruitment and qualification, to collection, blood processing, testing, transfusion practice, and posttransfusion surveillance, must be optimized to minimize risk. Pathogen inactivation is a promising approach to decrease bacterial contamination of platelets, inactivate parasites and viruses, and decrease risks associated with emerging and unidentified pathogens. This article offers an overview of blood donor infectious and noninfectious testing in the United States.