Safeguard The Blood

Our commitment to safeguard the blood supply
rests on multiple layers of protection,
not just blood tests

1. Careful selection of donor populations
   Groups recruited for donation are informed about disqualifying situations and behaviors.
2. Donor questioning
   Before we collect any blood, donors must undergo a rigorous and confidential health history interview to exclude those whose blood might transmit disease
3. Testing
   All donated blood is undergoes a battery of very sensitive tests for blood-borne infectious agents. At present this includes tests for the following:
   • hepatitis B and C
   • AIDS (HIV-1 and HIV-2)
   • human T-lymphotropic viruses I and II (HTLV-I/II)*
   • syphilis
   *( Type I may cause a rare form of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma or spinal paresis)

   Testing for cytomegalovirus (CMV) is done on blood needed for susceptible immunocompomised recipients.

   Click here for a list of tests performed
4. Deferred donor registries
   By federal law, identifying information from donors found to be unsuitable by health history or test results is entered into a confidential registry. All donated blood is screened against this registry to ensure that unsuitable blood is not released to hospitals. (To protect donors, the reason they are on the list is not specified.)
5. Treatment of products to remove/inactivate viruses
   
   • Leukocyte reduction
     By removing leukocytes through filtration or other physical means, studies have shown this may reduce the risk of transmission of certain viruses residing in leukocytes, such as CMV. (Additional advantages include prevention of febrile reactions and platelet refractoriness due to alloimmunization.)
6. Strict quality assurance at all steps in manufacturing
   The American Red Cross has been a national leader in developing a rigorous system of quality assurance that meets or exceeds requirements of regulatory agencies. This functions separately from but parallel to our blood operation – from blood donation through testing, component preparation and storage, through shipment to hospitals.  The goal of this system is to ensure that final products consistently meet all specifications for quality – safety, purity, potency, effectiveness, and traceability.