Postmortem blood tests for HIV, HBV, and HCV in a body donation program

Area of Science:

• Anatomical sciences
• Infectious disease epidemiology
• Medical laboratory science

Background:

• Anatomical donation programs are vital for medical education and research.
• Screening body donors for infectious agents is essential for laboratory safety.
• Previous data on infectious agent prevalence in body donors is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the prevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) in body donors.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of blood testing as a safety measure for anatomical gift recipients.
• To report the incidence of specific infectious agents identified in a donor population.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of blood test results from body donors.
• Data collected over a 5-year period (April 1992 - March 1997).
• Testing included Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV).

Main Results:

• A total of 785 body donors were tested.
• Eighteen donors (2.3%) tested positive for at least one infectious agent.
• Specific infections included 2 HIV, 6 HBV, and 10 HCV positive cases.

Conclusions:

• Blood testing of body donors is an effective method for identifying infectious agents.
• Screening significantly reduces the risk of exposure for individuals handling cadavers.
• The cost-effectiveness of this screening process is considered reasonable for safety assurance.