Evaluation of the organization of pre and post transfusion screening of viral infection markers in blood recipients in France in 2001

• Published in: Transfusion clinique et biologique : journal de la Société française de transfusion sanguine Vol. 12; no. 4; pp. 295 - 300
• Main Authors: Fressy, P, Daurat, G, Duedari, N, Le Blanc, G, Taverne, D, Ounnoughène, N, Pillonel, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: French
• Published: France 01-10-2005
• Subjects: Alanine Transaminase - blood; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Aspartate Aminotransferases - blood; Biomarkers; Blood Banks - organization & administration; Blood Banks - statistics & numerical data; Blood Preservation; Blood Transfusion - legislation & jurisprudence; Blood Transfusion - statistics & numerical data; Cryopreservation; Data Collection; Follow-Up Studies; France; Guideline Adherence; Guidelines as Topic; Hepatitis C Antibodies - blood; HIV Antibodies - blood; Hospital Administration; Humans; Mass Screening - legislation & jurisprudence; Mass Screening - organization & administration; Mass Screening - statistics & numerical data; Organizational Policy; Program Evaluation; Virus Diseases - diagnosis; France
• ISSN: 1246-7820
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tracli.2005.06.001

In France, data collection related to blood recipient's viral infectious disease markers pre and post-transfusion is a legal requirement for hospitals. Our study aimed to evaluate the actual modalities of this extensive screening in 2001, six years after the Ministry of health issued recommendations. A questionnaire was sent to the haemovigilance correspondents in hospitals having transfused labile blood products (LBP) in 2001. A total of 1463 hospitals having transfused 85% of LBP in France responded. 82.4% of hospitals have written guidelines for pre-transfusion screening of viral markers, mainly for HIV and hepatitis C. A frozen repository storage is held by 23.9% of hospitals with storage durations between 1 to 40 years. 84% of hospitals have written guidelines for post-transfusion screening. The test prescriptions are mostly done by physicians from clinical services and they include in more than 80% of cases, HIV and HCV markers. Only 12% of hospitals recontact the patient in case of a no show. Even though 77.5% of responding hospitals have labile blood products recipients follow up processes, their effectiveness remains quite low, only 16% of recipients having test results available at the hospital.