EmailHospital Circular 36/2002
Date Issued: 4 December 2002
Publication: 36/2002
Distribution: Public Hospitals
Subject: Pre-deposit Autologous Blood Collections - Screening for HIV-1 and Hepatitis C by Nucleic Acid Testing
Purpose: This circular details advice from the Blood and Blood Products Committee (B&BPC), a sub-committee of Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council (AHMAC), regarding the level of testing that should be performed on pre-deposit autologous collections, and advises that the Australian Red Cross Blood Service - Victoria (ARCBS-Vic) is now able to provide Nucleic Acid Testing to external clients.
In October 2001, the B&BPC endorsed the following:
- screening for transmissible disease markers should be performed each time an autologous collection is taken; and
- the level of testing for autologous collections should be the same as that required for homologous collections.
This decision is consistent with the Council of Europe's Guide to preparation, use and quality assurance of blood components, 8th Edition, January 2002, and with the Australasian Society of Blood Transfusion's Guidelines for Autologous Blood Collection, April 2002.
The Government has recently been advised that the ARCBS-Vic is now able to provide Nucleic Acid Testing for HIV-1 and Hepatitis C to external clients. The pricing structure for this service is currently:
- $43 per sample plus freight for all government agencies; and
- $55 per sample plus freight for non-government customers.
Please be advised that the Department of Human Services does not encourage pre-deposit autologous collections for most people in the community, and will not be providing reimbursement for hospitals that choose to perform Nucleic Acid Testing for HIV-1 and Hepatitis C on their pre-deposit autologous collections. In June 2000, the B&BPC published a Review of the Alternatives to Homologous Blood Donation. The review stated "Autologous donation should be available to those who wish to use it as a matter of personal choice, but not if resources are diverted from other health interventions in order to make it available."
It is acknowledged that there are some patients for whom it is appropriate that pre-deposit autologous blood be collected, such as patients who have rare blood types (for whom the ARCBS is unable to provide homologous blood), and patients who are volunteer matched-unrelated bone marrow donors, but only if patients in these categories meet the donation selection criteria. The Department will provide funding to the ARCBS-Vic to enable such patients to have pre-deposit autologous blood collected.
Hospitals wanting more information on Nucleic Acid Testing for HIV-1
and Hepatitis C should contact: Steve Shanahan, Laboratory Operations
Manager, ARCBS-Vic
Phone: (03) 9694 0285, Email: sshanahan@arcbs.redcross.org.au
| Shane Solomon Executive Director Metropolitan Health and Aged Care Services |
Dr C W Brook Executive Director Rural & Regional Health & Aged Care Services |
