Factors associated with failure of clinical screening among blood donors who have altered serological results in the Centro Regional de Hemoterapia de Ribeirão Preto

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to investigate the frequency of positive results for hepatitis B and C, HIV and syphilis in blood donations at the Centro Regional de Hemoterapia de Ribeirão Preto, to describe donors with positive results according to some demographic and socioeconomic variables, to identify risk factors associated to these donors and the reasons that they were not detected during clinical screening. Methods A descriptive study was performed between July 1st 2005 and July 31st 2006 by interviewing 106 donorsafter medical consultations where they were informed of positive results for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV or syphilis. ResultsThere was a predominance of first-time donors, males, under 50-year olds, married individuals, from Ribeirão Preto, with elementary education, low economic status and of people who donated at the request of friends or relatives. Hepatitis C was the most frequently detected infection (56.6%), followed by hepatitis B (20.7%), HIV (12.3%) and syphilis(10.4%). About 40% of donors had omitted risk factors for different reasons: because they trusted the results of serological tests, did not feel comfortable about talking of risk factors or did not consider them relevant. Other justifications were the duration of the interview, the interviewer was unskilled, embarrassment and doubts about confidentiality. Conclusion The results indicate the need for changes in the approach to clinical screening and a review of methods to attract and guide potential donors.

What weighs more—low compliance with self‐deferral or minor medical procedures? Explaining the high rate of hepatitis C virus window‐period donations in Poland

“…We also note that, during most of the studied period, more specific testing (e.g., recombinant immunoblot assay, NAT) was not routinely available in clinical laboratories. Therefore, the complete deferral of high‐risk individuals cannot be achieved without increasing access to testing sites ideally equipped with state‐of‐the‐art laboratory techniques …”

Blood Donor Test-Seeking Motivation and Prior HIV Testing Experiences in São Paulo, Brazil

“…[9–12] This difference may be due to the fact that the present study used a more stringent “yes or no” question that asked directly “Did you come to donate blood today because you wanted to be tested for HIV”, whereas previous studies classified test-seeking behavior based on strong agreement with two questions that asked indirectly about test-seeking motivation. [9,10] Even though only a small percentage indicated that HIV testing was their primary reason for donating on this day, many donors believed the blood donation process was generally a good way to get tested and nearly 1 in 5 donors indicated that getting test results was one motivation to donate.…”

“…[4–12] Previous studies have shown that many at-risk individuals get tested for HIV for the first time through the blood donation process. [4–8] This test-seeking behavior may pose a threat to the safety of the blood supply through a small but real risk of donation during the HIV window period.…”

“…[9–12] However, there is little information regarding whether prior experiences with alternative HIV testing facilities, e.g., voluntary counseling and testing centers, affect test-seeking behavior at blood centers. Therefore, we evaluated current test-seeking motivations and prior alternative HIV testing experiences among blood donors in São Paulo, Brazil.…”

Risk behavior disclosure among blood donors in Sao Paulo, Brazil

“…In this issue of the Revista Brasileira de Hematologia e Hemoterapia , one article "Factors associated with failure of clinical screening among blood donors who have altered serological results in the Centro Regional de Hemoterapia de Ribeirão Preto" describes aspects of the failure of clinical screening among blood donors in a center in Sao Paulo State in Brazil (1) . In this study, 106 blood donors with positive results for hepatitis B and C, syphilis, and HIV were interviewed when they came back for their medical consultation to be informed about their test results.…”