The Risk of Transfusion-Transmitted Infection

Four key measures help keep the use of blood safe. First, all who prescribe blood should try to limit the frequency of homologous transfusion by responding only to patients' physiologic needs and by using alternatives such as autologous transfusion and intraoperative blood salvage. Second, the selection of safe donors provides the greatest safety. For example, the current detection rate for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among active blood donors in the United States is between 5 and 10 confirmed positive results per 100,000 — that is, 1/40 to 1/80 of the rate anticipated in a random sample of the population, . . .