Sarkodie, F, Ullum, H, Owusu-Dabo, E, Owusu-Ofori, S, Owusu-Ofori, A and Hassall, O
(2016)
A novel strategy for screening blood donors for syphilis at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Ghana.
TRANSFUSION MEDICINE, 26 (1).
pp. 63-66.
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Abstract
<h4>Objective</h4>To implement and describe a novel syphilis screening strategy for blood donors.<h4>Background</h4>The seroprevalence of syphilis in blood donors is often high in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) although the proportion of infectious donations is probably low. Syphilis screening may not happen at all; or the use of non-specific screening tests, which have high false positive rates, results in many donations being discarded unnecessarily. This can have a critical effect on already inadequate blood supplies.<h4>Materials and methods</h4>Blood donors were screened at the time of donation with an anti-treponemal rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and blood collected irrespective of the result. Units screening negative for syphilis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B and C were released to stock. RDT screen-positive units were re-tested with rapid plasma reagin (RPR) - units testing negative were released to stock and test-positive units discarded.<h4>Results</h4>Of the 2213 blood donors, 182 (8·2%; 182/2213) screened positive by RDT. In addition, 38 out of these 182 (20·9%) were RPR positive on post-donation testing. Over 2 months there was a 79% reduction in blood units discarded due to a positive syphilis screen.<h4>Conclusion</h4>In other LMIC, this novel strategy can contribute to improving blood safety without jeopardising blood supply.
Item Type: | Article |
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Uncontrolled Keywords: | blood donation testing, blood safety, serological testing |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
Date Deposited: | 27 Oct 2016 10:14 |
Last Modified: | 19 Jan 2023 07:27 |
DOI: | 10.1111/tme.12279 |
Related URLs: | |
URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3004157 |