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Hepatitis C (HCV)‐positive blood donors in South‐West England: a case control study

Goodrick, M. J.; Gray, S. F.; Waters, A. J.; Goodrick, J.; Rouse, A. M.; Gray, Selena; Anderson, N. A.

Authors

M. J. Goodrick

S. F. Gray

A. J. Waters

J. Goodrick

A. M. Rouse

N. A. Anderson



Abstract

SUMMARY. The aim of this study was to compare the socio‐demographic characteristics and risk factors in anti‐HCV positive blood donors with those of matched controls. The participants were 50 hepatitis C antibody (HCV) positive blood donors and 50 matched blood donors with no evidence of HCV infection, who gave blood to the South Western Transfusion Centre between November 1991 and July 1992. A confidential structured interview was conducted to collect socio‐demographic data and to elicit information on risk factors for HCV. Measurements were made of the prevalence of risk factors and socio‐demographic characteristics in cases and controls. The main results were that 45 of the 50 cases could have been exposed to HCV by previous intravenous drug abuse (IVDA), blood transfusion or medical employment. Cases were significantly more likely to have a history of IVDA, tattooing or of medical employment than matched controls. Cases with no history of IVDA were significantly more likely to have had a blood transfusion. The key conclusions to emerge are that current policies are ineffective at excluding those with a history of IVDA from the donor pool. Consideration should be given to the introduction of a policy of direct confidential questioning about risk factors for all donors, or, at a minimum, the use of a questionnaire. Copyright © 1994, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved

Citation

Gray, S. F., Goodrick, M. J., Waters, A. J., Rouse, A. M., Goodrick, J., Anderson, N. A., & Gray, S. (1994). Hepatitis C (HCV)‐positive blood donors in South‐West England: a case control study. Transfusion Medicine, 4(2), 113-119. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3148.1994.tb00251.x

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Jan 1, 1994
Journal Transfusion Medicine
Print ISSN 1365-3148
Electronic ISSN 1365-3148
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Not Peer Reviewed
Volume 4
Issue 2
Pages 113-119
DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3148.1994.tb00251.x
Keywords hepatits C, HCV, blood donors, South West, England
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1108598
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3148.1994.tb00251.x