EFFICIENCY OF A CHECK SYSTEM FOR INFECTION AFTER BLOOD TRANSFUSION

At our institution, only 22% of patients receiving blood transfusions between May and October, 2002, were subsequently screened for HIV infection. To improve this rate, we prepared lists of all patients undergoing transfusion on a monthly basis and distributed them to the attending department. We changed the principle of the system to further improve the rate in May of 2003 by the use of new individual forms programmed using commercial database software (FileMaker Pro) for each patient. The new forms featured an easily readable design and were distributed to the attending department even after discharge. The frequency of screening after blood transfusion remarkably increased between May and October, 2003, to 77%. We concluded that form design, particularly readability for individual patients, and method of notification are important for effective verification of transfusionassociated HIV infection.