Blood contamination from donors was not screened in centuries before, which did not eliminate any possible infectious disease transmission. For example, HIV and Hepatitis was easily circulated through blood donations because the technology was not born yet. There are several departments in the CDC that function together to sample, screen, and test all blood donors for any diseases. The National Center for HIV / AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services, American Cross, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the American Society of Hematology (ASH) all work together solved the blood contamination through human error problem. According to Menon, M., Graves, L., McCombs, K., Hise, K., Silk, B., Kuehnert, M., & Lynch, M. (2013), “Bacterial contamination of blood components was the second most frequently reposted cause of transfusion-related fatalities reported to the Food and Drug Administration, the most frequent cause of fatality being hemolytic transfusion reactions” (p. 1974). The NCHHSTP along with other agencies are committed to the public health safety in surveillance, prevention research, and programs to control any diseases spread by blood transfusions.
In the 1600s, a British physician learned that blood could circulate and soon after that blood transfusions occurred, but it was not discovered that there were three human blood types until the 1900s. There were several people dying from
Each sample was tested before it was shipped. He took every possible measure to avoid poor handling and contamination of blood plasma. He closely monitored the shipments of these life-saving plasmas to treat war casualties. For five months, “Blood for Britain” project ran successfully with approximately 15000 people turning donors and approximately 5,000 vials of blood plasma collected.
As technological improvements and industrialization increased, the use of automobiles increased which also led to auto and industrial accidents. The blood substitutes for
A deficiency in adherence to basic infection control guidelines that prohibit the reuse of needles, syringes, and IV tubing is evidenced by the incidence of outbreaks of healthcare-associated infections (HIAs) that still continue to occur. Most of these deficiencies occur outside of hospital settings. Since 1999, the CDC has reported over 30 outbreaks of viral hepatitis and other HIAs which have required notification of 125,000 Americans of their possible exposure to infectious disease. Of that 125,000 people, 448 people actually became infected with HBV or HCV. In 2001, a private physician’s office in New York was responsible for placing 2,192 patients at risk with unsafe injections involving reused syringes and medication vials and resulted in 19 cases of HCV infections. In Oklahoma, an outpatient pain clinic infected 31 patients with Hepatitis B and 71 with Hepatitis C in 2002 which required notification of 908 patients of their potential exposure. In this particular Oklahoma outbreak, a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) was reported to have routinely prepared a needle and syringe for
An individual slowly, painfully, and agonizingly wanders into the emergency room. They complain of having a fever, vomiting profusely, and are experiencing a severe headache. The physician notices in the patient history that this individual recently went on an excursion to the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa. The physician inquires with the patient about their recent trip and the patient excitedly, but wearily, tells the doctor all about the African safari. The individual also informed the doctor that they arrived home just a few days ago and recalled coming across several dead fruit bats and even a large dead gorilla; in which he got close enough to take a picture with, similar to as if he was claiming it for a prize. With this information, the physician immediately sends the patient to the laboratory to have their blood drawn, mentioning in the order to handle the patient and the specimen with utmost care and caution. It is crucial for healthcare workers, especially phlebotomists, to practice proper standard precautions to prevent the spread of contagions and blood borne pathogens. The patient mentioned above would be a prime example for why such measures are taken and why the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has implemented particular protections. Every day phlebotomists are exposed to various infections, therefore, it is crucial that their daily practice concerning universal precautions does not fail; the consequences could be deadly
Every health care institution should have in place a standard precaution and ensure employees are trained and consistently adhering to the standards to prevent occupational exposure to blood borne pathogen (us public health service guideline). The most common blood borne pathogens that could be transmitted through a needle stick injury includes hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immune deficiency virus (HIV) (med surg). After being exposed to a patient's blood through a needle stick injury, the nurse should immediately wash the location with soap and water and avoid using antiseptics, and caustic agent, such as bleach, or squeezing blood from the injury because there has not been a scientific evidence to support these technique as a way of reducing the spread of blood borne pathogens. The nurse should report the incident to the immediate supervisor and
In 1900, Karl Landsteiner, a Viennese pathologist/immunologist was the first person to ever distinguish between the three different types of blood groups (A, B, and O). This combined with the advancement and growth of the Red Cross provided the support for the beginnings of blood transfusions for wounded soldiers.
Testing consisted of taking health care worker’s blood samples, performing follow-ups and testing for HIV antibodies every 3 to 4 weeks. After three years of this conducted study, a total of four hundred and seventy-six incidences were accounted for due to exposure to blood and body fluids. This is a low incidence report compared to the United States reporting six million healthcare workers report to have been exposed to blood and body fluids from needle stick injuries alone. This low incidence report could be contributed due to healthcare workers under-reporting their incidences. I was surprised to find out that only fifty-eight point four percent of healthcare workers used personal protective equipment (PPE), such as masks, gowns, and gloves when using needles and sharp objects. Furthermore, immediately following exposure to blood-borne pathogens, employee’s first course of action was running water to clean out the exposed area. Risks for developing blood-borne infectious diseases increase due to these injuries and improperly decontaminating the exposed
Do you remember me from the emergency room? You gave me that IV and took my blood sample. You did not use gloves. While you were stabbing into the crevice of my arm repeatedly I considered how unsanitary it was that you were ungloved. In case you had forgotten, as you were in the middle of a twelve-hour shift and I imagined you were tired, I asked whether you were supposed to wear gloves for needlework. You explained that you became a nurse before AIDS was “a big deal,” and found it difficult to “feel for the vein” with gloves on. Well, my dear, now that AIDS is indeed a “big deal,” I suggest you adapt to the new HIV precautions, “universal precautions.”
Implementation of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in routine screening of blood donors in the early 1970s has greatly enhanced transfusion safety. The incidence ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 4 Number 1 (2015) pp. 1-10
In 1900, Karl Landsteiner discovered why some blood transfusions were successful while others could be deadly and some could result on some serious symptoms. He also discovered the ABO blood group system by mixing the red blood cells and serum of each of his staff. He has been credited for this discovery because
In Western Europe and the USA, the use of Nucleic Acid Technology testing or NAT has reduced the risk of HCV and HIV infections due to blood transfusion to approximately 1 in 1 million and 1 in 3 million respectively.
Many people learned about the Circulatory System in their elementary school years, so for many, it would be hard to imagine a time where Civilization were unaware of how blood works. It wasn’t until 1682 when a English physician named William Harvey discovered the Circulatory System, before than people didn’t know where it came from and were unaware of its importance, and since then medicine developed rapidly increasing people’s life span and becoming the foundation of medicine, and how much it has effected us to this day.
“Blood Safety in the Age of AIDS” reflects upon the history of blood transfusions, the advancement in performing clean (disease-free) transfusions, and, specifically, the appearance of and efforts to prevent the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) virus in blood donations. The AIDS epidemic hitting the blood banks is not only examined as an urgent problem in its own right, but also as a warning to both doctors and patients who regularly or spontaneously require blood transfusions. This warning indicates that the idea of new diseases and epidemics are still a possibility despite medical and conditional advances through history and that additional measures should be researched in the effort to make blood transfusions less risky.
The residual risk for HIV is estimated at less than 1 in 8 million units at Canadian Blood Services (Goldman et. al, 2014). The risk is so low that it can only be estimated after all safeguard measures have been followed (Billick et. al, 2015). While the deferral policy puts stigma against MSM, it may have helped lessen the risk of BT contamination and helped promote safety among blood recipients through a precautionary approach.
We are calling for employee volunteers to cooperate in and are conducting internal volunteer blood sampling in order to perform product development completion testing on instruments and reagents or market response for which fresh blood from healthy people is required. Currently, most of blood samples are from Technopark employees. Participants in blood sampling continue to be concentrated on volunteers who are Technopark employees. Moreover, there were some issues including lack of consideration to the works when participating in blood sampling, no compensation in response to the risk of accidents and no rule of the maximum number of the blood sampling per year.