Pre-donation Interview Research Articles

Risk behavior in Norwegian blood donors.

Blood banks ensure the safety of blood components by testing them for a set of known infectious agents and by careful selection of donors based on a self-administered questionnaire and an interview. The purpose of this study is to describe the risk behavior for sexually transmitted diseases in Norwegian blood donors. A survey of the sexual habits of 5,859 blood donors in the capital of Norway was performed by using anonymous questionnaires. The results were compared with a previous survey of 10,000 randomly selected Norwegian subjects aged 18 to 60 years. The response rates were 70.3 percent and 48.4 percent, respectively. Blood donors had considerably more education than the general population. Their general sexual behavior was similar to that of the rest of the population, although the blood donors had later sexual debut, fewer new partners per year, and a lower frequency of intercourse. In addition, homosexual experience among males was much lower in the donor group. Blood donors were less likely to engage in risk behavior for sexually transmitted diseases than were the general population. Nevertheless, 1.5 percent of the donors reported behavior that would have led to deferral had the behavior been disclosed at the predonation interview. Deferrable donors were more likely to be male and young and to have had many partners. Anonymous questionnaires reveal information that is not given at the time of blood donation.

Hepatitis C Virus: Routes of Infection and Genotypes in a Cohort of Anti-HCV-Positive French Blood Donors

Background: We evaluated and analysed risk factors of HCV-infected blood donors according to HCV genotypes in order to improve the transfusion policy and safety of blood supply. Materials and Methods: HCV-RNA was analysed in sera from 518 anti-HCV-positive blood donors, who were invited to medical consultation and interview as to risk factors by means of an extensive questionnaire. HCV genotyping was done on all samples positive for HCV-RNA. Results: Of the 518 sera, 399 (77%) were HCV-RNA positive, and 394 of 399 HCV genotypes were identified. Major genotypes were 1b (34.3%), 3a (24%), 1a (19.5%) and 2 (11.4%). Of the donors, 289 (55.8%) were interviewed regarding their risk behaviour: 27% were former intravenous drug users (IVDUs), 26% had been transfused, 8% had a history of invasive diagnostic procedures, and 13% a history of surgery. Among the 224 interviewed donors, genotypes 1a and 3a were mainly associated with IVDU (51 and 45% respectively) and genotype 1b, with transfusion and nosocomial infections (40 and 25%, respectively). Conclusion: In this population of anti-HCV-positive blood donors, nosocomial infection may be a route of HCV spread, but the main risk factor remains IVDU, particularly in young men. The transfusion policy will improve if predonation interviews of such young men are done with a specific and sensitive questionnaire.

Hepatitis C Virus: Routes of Infection and Genotypes in a Cohort of Anti‐HCV‐Positive French Blood Donors

Abstract Background: We evaluated and analysed risk factors of HCV‐infected blood donors according to HCV genotypes in order to improve the transfusion policy and safety of blood supply. Materials and Methods: HCV‐RNA was analysed in sera from 518 anti‐HCV‐positive blood donors, who were invited to medical consultation and interview as to risk factors by means of an extensive questionnaire. HCV genotyping was done on all samples positive for HCV‐RNA. Results: Of the 518 sera, 399 (77%) were HCV‐RNA positive, and 394 of 399 HCV genotypes were identified. Major genotypes were 1b (34.3%), 3a (24%), 1a (19.5%) and 2 (11.4%). Of the donors, 289 (55.8%) were interviewed regarding their risk behaviour: 27% were former intravenous drug users (IVDUs), 26% had been transfused, 8% had a history of invasive diagnostic procedures, and 13% a history of surgery. Among the 224 interviewed donors, genotypes 1a and 3a were mainly associated with IVDU (51 and 45% respectively) and genotype 1b, with transfusion and nosocomial infections (40 and 25%, respectively). Conclusion: In this population of anti‐HCV ‐positive blood donors, nosocomial infection may be a route of HCV spread, but the main risk factor remains IVDU, particularly in young men. The transfusion policy will improve if predonation interviews of such young men are done with a specific and sensitive questionnaire.

Rôle du médecin du don

In France, proper transfusion practices impose that the medical pre-donation interview be done by a physician. In Anglo-Saxon countries, it is more often performed by a nurse. The physician's job is not limited to the clinical selection of blood donation volunteers. In the production process, the physician is implicated in the safety and supply of labile blood products. The practice of the profession requires educational and communication skills. As the manager of a medical team working in mobile sites, the physician must ensure the respect of ethics and professional regulations by the staff he or she trains and supervises.

Interviews of individuals diagnosed as anti‐human immunodeficiency virus‐positive through the screening of blood donations in the Paris area to 1994: reflections on the selection of blood donors

One of the aims of the medical interview routinely preceding each blood donation is the identification of individuals with a risk factor for infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Interviews were performed with individuals diagnosed as being seropositive for HIV through the systematic biologic screening of blood donations in the Paris area to establish, first, the circumstances allowing HIV-seropositive individuals to pass through the predonation medical interview and, second, the motivation of these individuals as blood donors. Risk factors of 30 HIV-infected donors identified between 1991 and 1994 were determined. When asked whether they recognized the eventual risk to recipients of donated blood, 14 (47%) of 30 answered positively. Fifteen (50%) admitted having given their blood to determine their HIV status. These individuals did not exclude themselves from blood donation and probably hid their risk factor(s) at the predonation interview in order to be accepted as blood donors.