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  • Title: Strategies for safe blood. Reducing HIV transmission.
    Journal: AIDS Action; 1996; (34):2-3. PubMed ID: 12291928.
    Abstract:
    Blood transfusion programs can minimize the risk of transfusing infected blood through three strategies: 1) recruiting and counseling voluntary donors who are at low risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), 2) screening all donated blood for HIV and other infections transmitted by blood and safely disposing of infected blood, and 3) reducing the number of blood and blood product transfusions. Schools, universities, church groups, community centers, and workplaces provide opportunities for educating and recruiting people at low risk of HIV. Avoided should be paid donors; men and women who sell their blood are often at high risk of serious communicable diseases. All donated blood should be screened for HIV, hepatitis B, syphilis, and, depending on local disease patterns and resources, hepatitis C, Chagas' disease, and malaria. Donors should be informed of their HIV infection only after two tests have produced positive results. Because of the HIV "window period," during which antibodies are not yet detectable, a few infected blood units may be released. Where possible, blood substitutes such as saline or blood pre-collected from the patient should be used. Key to reducing the number of blood transfusions, however, is the prevention of anemia and pregnancy complications -- the indications for most transfusions.
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