blood donation

does anyone know what stds are screened on a blood donation with the red cross?

[cruelworld]

i cant say for sure but i expect everything. this has to end up as public blood supply.

[alagirl]

here's that the fda says if this helps:

http://www.fda.gov/ora/inspect_ref/igs/blood.html#PART%20A%20-%20WHOLE%20BLOOD%20DONOR

DISEASE MARKER TESTING

Each collection of whole blood and blood components must be tested for anti-HIV, syphilis, and HBsAg. In addition, they should be tested for anti-HCV, anti-HBc, and anti-HTLV-I per recommendations from FDA. Testing for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was implemented as a surrogate marker for viral hepatitis. FDA has not made any recommendations as to whether or not blood banks should perform ALT testing; however, ALT testing has become an industry standard. If an establishment has implemented ALT testing, they should be following the manufacturer's instructions and their SOP for performing the test and interpreting the test results.

Each unit of blood must be tested for HBsAg by a licensed third generation test. Third generation tests include radioimmunoassay (RIA), reverse passive hemagglutination (RPHA), or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA or EIA).

Refer to CBER's December 22, 1993, memorandum to registered establishments entitled "Donor Suitability Related to Laboratory Testing for Viral Hepatitis and a History of Viral Hepatitis".

Each unit must be tested for antibody to HIV with a licensed test kit. There are three types of licensed kits based upon different manufacturing technologies:

Whole viral lysates;

Recombinant DNA technology; (See the February 1 and August 1, l989, memoranda "Use of the Recombigen HIV-1 LA Test" for further information.) and,

Synthetic peptides.

Refer to Compliance Program 7342.001, Inspection of License and Unlicensed Blood Banks, Attachments C and D, for a list of licensed test kits for HBsAg, anti-HIV-1, anti-HIV-2, anti-HIV-1/2, Anti-HCV, Anti-Hbc, Anti-HTLV-I, and Western blot.

[merryBe]

many STD's are not carried in the blood and so are not tested there. Those disease we know are blood borne are tested for. Although they don't test for every virus because many are still unknown or there is no test for them.

do you need a transfusion??

[Jakied]

Thanks for the response.  I donated through my church when the red cross blood mobile was there.  A while back, I was tested for all Stds (Hiv/Hbv/Hcv/Herpes/Syph/etc) all were neg so my purpose for donating was not to be tested.  I was only wondering if the 'Big 3' (hiv and hepb/c) were screened on a blood donation.  Seems as though they are.  Many thanks.

[alagirl]

yeah, since I've had six or seven transfusions (can't remember) I try not to worry about what might have been in the blood that we just don't know about or test for yet, and I hope that every unit I received was from a high school student who decided that abstinence was best (LOL yeah, right)

[alagirl]

actually, I'm joking.  Really when I get blood I'm pretty grateful that someone went out of their way to take the time to donate something I just can't make well on my own and I'm kind of in wonder that someone would care enough about someone they've never met to do that.  People really don't understand how important blood and organ donation is sometimes unless they've been in a position to need one or the other.  It may sound corny, but it really is the gift of life, and it doesn't hit home exactly how much that's true until you're sitting there watching your oxygen sat. and blood pressure move to a therapeutic range because you're receiving it.

[Jakied]

thanks for your responses.

I googled 'blood donations' and found out the red cross

screens for the following :

1) Hiv antibody
2) Hiv with Nat
3) Hep b surface and core antigen
4) Hep C antibody
5) Hep C with Nat
6) syphillis (syphilis)
7) West nile virus
8) Htlv (human tcell lymphotropic virus)

I am a little surprised herpes and gonorrhea are not on the list.