Transfusion medicine handbook

7. Adverse Effects of Transfusion

7.17 Transfusion-transmitted Infection

The perception of the risks of transfusion have been greatly influenced by HIV transmissions that occurred before today's safer testing procedures were available.

Blood donors,  can occasionally carry an infectious agent, sometimes for a long period, without having any clinical signs or symptoms. For this reason, donors are interviewed at each and every visit and laboratory tests are performed on every blood donation. No part of the donation can be released until all these tests are known to be clear. Computer blood management systems (BMS) are used to ensure that this process is strictly adhered to.

There is very good evidence that with the donor selection and testing procedures used by NZBS, the risk in New Zealand of infection through the contamination of blood components and fractionated products is extremely small.

Table 7.2: Estimated Residual Risk of Transfusion-Transmitted Infection in New Zealand