CONFIRMATORY TESTING

• The TTI-NRL offers a variety of testing services for reference testing of screened reactive blood donors for HIV, Hepatitis B and C, Syphilis, and Malaria to all blood screening centers in the world.

TRAINING

QUALITY ASSURANCE

• To attain the maximum level of accuracy and reliability, best practices must be followed in the laboratory through the following activities: (a) External Quality Assessment Scheme (EQAS), (b) Site Inspections and (c) Provision of Quality Control Samples

FURTHER RESEARCH

• The TTI-NRL's interest in doing research as one of its goals paved the door for the formation of the Transfusion Transmissible Infections Study Group, which was composed of several infectious disease specialists from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

Reference:

Department of Health (N.D.). Transfusion Transmissible Infections. Research Institute for Tropical Medicine. https://ritm.gov.ph/reference-laboratories/national-reference-laboratories/transfusions-transmissible-infections/.

Understanding the pathology of the disease is crucial if it is not a vector borne borne disease as it exposes tbe transmission gap. However, in vector borne diseases, preventing vector-man contact.

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Considero de gran importancia realizar programas de control de calidad en tamizaje serológico principalmente (virus de la hepatitis B (VHB), virus de la hepatitis C (VHC), virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH), sífilis (Treponema pallidum) y de la enfermedad de Chagas (Tripanosoma cruzi).

El programa debe ser entendido como un proceso de educación continua y, al mismo tiempo, como una herramienta para el control de los procesos de tamizaje para la obtención de mejores resultados, ya que si se detectan errores en los resultados de dichos controles, nos da la oportunidad de tomar las acciones adecuadas que permitan incrementar la calidad y el desempeño dentro de cada laboratorio.

Avoiding and monitoring transfusion-transmissible diseases (TTDs) is crucial to ensure the safety of blood transfusions and protect both donors and recipients. Here are several strategies to prevent and monitor TTDs, especially in the face of rising concerns:

1. Donor Screening:

• Implement strict donor eligibility criteria, including assessing risk factors for TTDs such as sexual behavior, travel history, and medical history.
• Conduct confidential interviews with potential donors to identify high-risk behaviors.
• Perform routine physical examinations and blood tests to detect potential infections.

2. Laboratory Testing:

• Screen donated blood for TTDs using highly sensitive and specific tests, such as nucleic acid testing (NAT) for HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
• Use serological tests for syphilis and other infectious diseases.
• Ensure the use of quality-assured testing methods and regular proficiency testing for laboratories.

3. Pathogen Inactivation:

• Consider implementing pathogen inactivation technologies, which can inactivate a broad spectrum of pathogens in blood products, reducing the risk of TTD transmission.

4. Continuous Training and Education:

• Train healthcare workers, laboratory staff, and volunteers on donor selection, blood collection, and testing procedures.
• Promote awareness among donors about the importance of providing accurate information during the screening process.

5. Strict Infection Control Practices:

• Maintain stringent infection control measures in healthcare settings to prevent healthcare-associated TTD transmission.

6. Monitoring and Surveillance:

• Establish a robust system for monitoring and surveillance of TTDs.
• Report all cases of transfusion-transmitted infections promptly to the relevant public health authorities.
• Investigate and analyze any suspected transfusion-transmitted infection cases to identify the source and prevent future occurrences.

7. Regulatory Oversight:

• Ensure that regulatory agencies and blood transfusion services have clear guidelines and standards for donor screening, testing, and quality control.
• Conduct regular inspections and audits to ensure compliance with these standards.

8. Research and Development:

• Invest in research to develop more sensitive and rapid diagnostic tests for TTDs.

10. Public Awareness:

• Educate the public about the importance of safe blood donation and the risks associated with TTDs.
• Encourage regular blood donation by low-risk individuals to maintain an adequate and safe blood supply.

11. Data Sharing and Collaboration:

• Foster collaboration among healthcare institutions, blood banks, and public health agencies to share information and best practices in preventing and monitoring TTDs.

Regular updates to screening and testing protocols based on scientific advancements and epidemiological data are essential in this effort.

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In developed countries, a variety of safety measures ensures a low risk of transfusion-transmitted infections. These safety measures include donor selection (limiting imported and window infections); skin disinfection and diversion bags (limiting bacterial contamination during blood donation); the screening of donations (enabling timely detection of HBV, HCV, HIV, and Treponema pallidum); specific processing (such as leukodepletion, pathogen reduction, and inactivation, which remove or kill certain pathogens); quarantine plasma (preventing window infections); bacterial culturing (detecting contaminated platelets); and post-donation and post-transfusion notification (respectively, enabling donor- and recipient-triggered look-back procedures, which identify infected recipients).

Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5732909/#:~:text=These%20safety%20measures%20include%20donor,)%3B%20specific%20processing%20(such%20as