What tests are administered to ensure my blood is safe to distribute to patients?
Each unit of blood is tested for the following: • ABO group and type and Rh factor. • Unexpected antibodies that are a result of prior transfusion, pregnancy or other factors. • Hepatitis B surface antigen, indicating a current infection (hepatitis) or carrier state for hepatitis B virus. • Antibody to hepatitis B core, indicator of a present or past infection with the hepatitis B virus. • Antibody to hepatitis C virus, indicating a current or past hepatitis C virus, (non-A/non-B hepatitis). • Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) – a liver enzyme that, when increased, may indicate other forms of liver disease. • Antibody to HTLV-I/II, indicator of infection with a virus that may cause adult T-cell leukemia or neurologic disease. • Antibody to HIV 1/2, indicator of infection with a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). • HIV-1 Antigen – a second test to detect HIV-1 infection. This test adds a second layer of safety to the blood supply by narrowing the “window period” between time of infection
