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Pozzo di Borgo A, Rochette S, Gaussen A, O'Brien SF, Germain M, Renaud C, Lewin A. Transmission of Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Through Blood Transfusion and Plasma-Derived Products: A Narrative Review of Observed and Modeled Risks. Transfus Med Rev 2023; 37:150747. [PMID: 37827587 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmrv.2023.150747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Secondary transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) can occur through blood transfusion or receipt of plasma-derived products. However, published reviews on this topic are outdated, focused on a single country or product type, or did not comprehensively review modeling studies on the risk of transfusion-transmission. We reviewed existing data on observed and modeled risks of transfusion-transmission of vCJD. To date, five patients are suspected to have acquired clinical vCJD or a vCJD infection after receiving a blood or plasma-derived product from a donor who later developed clinical vCJD. All of these cases received a nonleukodepleted blood-derived product in the United Kingdom between 1994 and 1999. Thus, all transfusion-associated cases occurred before the adoption of universal leukodepletion in 1999, which supports the preferential tropism of vCJD for leukocytes. In descriptive cohort studies, no cases of clinical vCJD were observed over ∼13 years of follow-up. In modeling studies, the risk of collecting a contaminated donation was generally <23 per million donations, that of infection was generally <10 per million transfusions or doses, and that of clinical vCJD was generally <2 per million transfusions or doses. These low risk estimates and the two-decade long absence of new cases of transfusion-associated vCJD suggest vCJD poses minimal risks to the safety of the blood supply. Furthermore, despite concerns of a second wave driven by individuals harboring a non-MM genotype at codon 129 of PRNP, there has been only 1 autopsy-confirmed case of clinical vCJD in an MV individual in 2016. The current trend to reassess or (in some countries) fully withdraw the blood donation criteria related to vCJD therefore seems justified, safe, and may significantly expand the donor base.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samuel Rochette
- Medical Affairs and Innovation, Héma-Québec, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Amaury Gaussen
- Medical Affairs and Innovation, Héma-Québec, Quebec, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Sheila F O'Brien
- Epidemiology and Surveillance, Canadian Blood Services, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Marc Germain
- Medical Affairs and Innovation, Héma-Québec, Quebec, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Christian Renaud
- Medical Affairs and Innovation, Héma-Québec, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Antoine Lewin
- Medical Affairs and Innovation, Héma-Québec, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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2
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Cheng Q, Hoad VC, Roy Choudhury A, Seed CR, Bentley P, Shih STF, Kwon JA, Gray RT, Wiseman V. Removing hepatitis C antibody testing for Australian blood donations: A cost-effectiveness analysis. Vox Sang 2023; 118:471-479. [PMID: 37183482 PMCID: PMC10952740 DOI: 10.1111/vox.13429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The risk of transfusion-transmitted hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections is extremely low in Australia. This study aims to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of different testing strategies for HCV infection in blood donations. MATERIALS AND METHODS The four testing strategies evaluated in this study were universal testing with both HCV antibody (anti-HCV) and nucleic acid testing (NAT); anti-HCV and NAT for first-time donations and NAT only for repeat donations; anti-HCV and NAT for transfusible component donations and NAT only for plasma for further manufacture; and universal testing with NAT only. A decision-analytical model was developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of alternative HCV testing strategies. Sensitivity analysis and threshold analysis were conducted to account for data uncertainty. RESULTS The number of potential transfusion-transmitted cases of acute hepatitis C and chronic hepatitis C was approximately zero in all four strategies. Universal testing with NAT only was the most cost-effective strategy due to the lowest testing cost. The threshold analysis showed that for the current practice to be cost-effective, the residual risks of other testing strategies would have to be at least 1 HCV infection in 2424 donations, which is over 60,000 times the baseline residual risk (1 in 151 million donations). CONCLUSION The screening strategy for HCV in blood donations currently implemented in Australia is not cost-effective compared with targeted testing or universal testing with NAT only. Partial or total removal of anti-HCV testing would bring significant cost savings without compromising blood recipient safety.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Avijoy Roy Choudhury
- UWA Medical SchoolThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Clive R. Seed
- Australian Red Cross LifebloodPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Peter Bentley
- Australian Red Cross LifebloodPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
- UWA Medical SchoolThe University of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | | | | | | | - Virginia Wiseman
- Kirby InstituteUNSW SydneySydneyAustralia
- Department of Global Health and DevelopmentLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineLondonUK
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Anne PB, Gupta A, Misra S, Sharma SK, Garg MK, Bajpayee A, Bundas S, Bohra M, Asirvatham V. Economic Evaluation of Nucleic Acid Testing for Screening of Blood Donations for Thalassemia Patients (ECONAT) in Western India. Indian J Hematol Blood Transfus 2023; 39:317-324. [PMID: 37006984 PMCID: PMC10064373 DOI: 10.1007/s12288-022-01564-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Transfusion Transmitted infections(TTI) are of significant concern for blood safety. The thalassemia patients who receive multiple transfusions are at an increased risk of TTIs and the Nucleic Acid Test (NAT ) has been advocated for safe blood. Though NAT can reduce the window period compared to serology, cost is a constraint. Methods The thalassemia patient and NAT yield data from the centralized NAT lab in AIIMS Jodhpur was evaluated for cost-effectiveness using the Markov model. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated by dividing the difference between the cost for NAT and the cost of medical management of TTI-related complications by the product of the difference in utility value of a TTI health state with time and Gross National Income(GNI) per capita. Results Out of the 48,762 samples tested by NAT, 43 samples were discriminated NAT yield all of which were reactive for Hepatitis B (NAT yield of 1:1134). There was no HCV and HIV NAT yield despite HCV being the most prevalent TTI in this population. The cost of this intervention was INR 5,85,14,400. The number of lifetime QALY saved was 1.38 years. The cost of medical management is INR 82,19,114. Therefore the ICER for intervention is INR 3,64,45,860 per QALY saved which is 274 times the GNI per capita of India. Conclusions The provision of IDNAT-tested blood for thalassemia patients in Rajasthan state was not found to be cost-effective. Measures to bring down the cost or alternative options to increase blood safety should be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Puneeth Babu Anne
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Blood Bank, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, 342005 Jodhpur, India
| | - Anubhav Gupta
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Blood Bank, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, 342005 Jodhpur, India
| | - Sanjeev Misra
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences, 342005 Jodhpur, India
| | | | - Mahendra Kumar Garg
- Department of General Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, 342005 Jodhpur, India
| | - Archana Bajpayee
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Blood Bank, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, 342005 Jodhpur, India
| | - Sunita Bundas
- Department of Immunohematology and Transfusion Medicine, S.M.S. Medical college, 302004 Jaipur, India
| | - Manju Bohra
- Department of Immunohematology and Transfusion Medicine, Dr. S. N. Medical College, 342003 Jodhpur, India
| | - Vasanth Asirvatham
- Department of Transfusion Medicine and Blood Bank, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, 342005 Jodhpur, India
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Grégoire Y, Delage G, Custer B, Rochette S, Renaud C, Lewin A, Germain M. Cost-effectiveness of pathogen reduction technology for plasma and platelets in Québec: A focus on potential emerging pathogens. Transfusion 2022; 62:1208-1217. [PMID: 35560238 DOI: 10.1111/trf.16926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The last economic evaluation of pathogen reduction technology (PRT) in Canada was conducted in 2007. We reassessed the cost-effectiveness of PRT in the province of Québec (which has its own blood supplier) and included an evaluation of the potential impact of emerging pathogens on cost-effectiveness. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Decision analytic Markov models were developed to simulate the costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) associated with PRT as an addition to existing safety measures for plasma and platelet products (except for bacterial culture). Models accounted for several infectious and noninfectious transfusion reactions, recipients' productivity losses ensuing from these reactions, and the impact of PRT on platelet function. Scenario analyses were conducted to evaluate the impact of a new highly contagious human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-like or West Nile virus (WNV)-like pathogen, assuming various epidemiological scenarios. RESULTS In the base case, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of PRT was estimated at $8,088,974/QALY gained. Assuming the presence of an HIV-like pathogen, the ICER was $265,209/QALY gained in the "average transmission" scenario, $1,274,445/QALY gained in the "rapid testing scenario," and $123,063/QALY gained in the "highly contagious" scenario. Assuming the presence of a WNV-like pathogen, the ICER was $7,469,167/QALY gained in the "average transmission" scenario and $6,652,769/QALY gained in the "highly contagious" scenario. CONCLUSION The cost-effectiveness of PRT may substantially improve in the event of a new, blood-borne pathogen. Given their significant impact on cost-effectiveness, the emergence of new pathogens should be considered when deciding whether to adopt PRT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves Grégoire
- Medical Affairs and Innovation, Héma-Québec, Québec city, Canada
| | | | - Brian Custer
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Marc Germain
- Medical Affairs and Innovation, Héma-Québec, Québec city, Canada
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Russell WA, Owusu-Ofori S, Owusu-Ofori A, Micah E, Norman B, Custer B. Cost-effectiveness and budget impact of whole blood pathogen reduction in Ghana. Transfusion 2021; 61:3402-3412. [PMID: 34651313 DOI: 10.1111/trf.16704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the promise of pathogen reduction for reducing transfusion-associated adverse events in sub-Saharan Africa, no health-economic assessment is publicly available. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS We developed a mathematical risk reduction model to estimate the impact of nationwide whole blood pathogen reduction in Ghana on the incidence of six infectious and one non-infectious transfusion-associated adverse events. We estimated the lifetime direct healthcare costs and disability-adjusted life years lost for each adverse event. For HIV, HCV, and HBV, we simulated disease progression using Markov models, accounting for the likelihood and timing of clinical detection and treatment. We performed probabilistic and univariate sensitivity analysis. RESULTS Adding whole blood pathogen reduction to Ghana's blood safety portfolio would avert an estimated 19,898 (11,948-27,353) adverse events and 38,491 (16,444-67,118) disability-adjusted life years annually, primarily by averting sepsis (49%) and malaria (31%) infections. One year of pathogen reduction would cost an estimated $8,037,191 ($6,381,946-$9,880,760) and eliminate $8,656,389 ($4,462,614-$13,469,448) in direct healthcare spending on transfusion-associated adverse events. We estimate a 58% probability that the addition of pathogen reduction would reduce overall direct healthcare spending. Findings were most sensitive to uncertainty in the probability that a bacterially contaminated blood donation causes sepsis. CONCLUSION Whole blood pathogen reduction would substantially reduce the burden of known transfusion-associated adverse events in Ghana and may reduce overall healthcare spending. Additional benefits not captured by this analysis may include averting secondary transmission of infectious diseases, reducing non-medical costs, and averting new or re-emerging transfusion-transmitted infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Alton Russell
- Department of Management Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.,Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA.,MGH Institute for Technology Assessment, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Alex Owusu-Ofori
- Laboratory Services Directorate, Komfo-Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana.,Department of Clinical Microbiology, Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Eileen Micah
- Department of Medicine, Komfo-Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Betty Norman
- Department of Medicine, Komfo-Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Brian Custer
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, California, USA.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
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Candotti D, Tagny-Tayou C, Laperche S. Challenges in transfusion-transmitted infection screening in Sub-Saharan Africa. Transfus Clin Biol 2021; 28:163-170. [PMID: 33515730 DOI: 10.1016/j.tracli.2021.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In Sub-Saharan Africa, high clinical demand for transfusion faces endemic bloodborne infections and limited resources. Blood screening for transfusion-transmitted bloodborne pathogens is the cornerstone of blood safety. Although there have been substantial improvements over the years, challenges in transfusion-transmitted infection screening that have been identified repeatedly long ago still need to be addressed. Affordability and sustainability of state-of-the-art quality assessed serological and molecular assays, and associated confirmation strategies remain of real concern. In addition, limited resources and infrastructures hamper the development of adequate facilities, quality management, and staff qualification, and exacerbate shortage of reagents and equipment maintenance. It is also important to maintain effort in constituting pools of repeat voluntary non-remunerated donors. Alternative strategies for blood screening that take into account local circumstances might be desirable but they should rely on appropriate field evaluation and careful economic assessment rather than dogma established from high-resource settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Candotti
- Département d'Études des Agents Transmissibles par le Sang, Institut National de la Transfusion Sanguine, Centre National de Référence Risques Infectieux Transfusionnels, 75015 Paris, France.
| | - C Tagny-Tayou
- Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, BP: 1364, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | - S Laperche
- Département d'Études des Agents Transmissibles par le Sang, Institut National de la Transfusion Sanguine, Centre National de Référence Risques Infectieux Transfusionnels, 75015 Paris, France
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Vermeulen M, van den Berg K, Sykes W, Reddy R, Ingram C, Poole C, Custer B. Health economic implications of testing blood donors in South Africa for HTLV 1 & 2 infection. Vox Sang 2019; 114:467-477. [PMID: 31131453 DOI: 10.1111/vox.12788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Currently, HTLV screening is not performed in South Africa (SA). This report describes an economic assessment (budget impact and cost-effectiveness) of implementing different HTLV screening strategies. METHODS A modified version of the Alliance of Blood Operators risk-based decision-making framework was used to assess the risk and consequences of HTLV in the blood supply in SA. We developed a deterministic model of the cost and consequences of four screening strategies: none, universal, all donors once and first time donors only assuming a transfusion-transmission (TT) efficiency of 10% and a manifestation of clinical disease of 6%. RESULTS Unscreened blood results in 3·55 symptomatic TT-HTLV cases and a total healthcare cost of Rand (R)3 446 950 (US Dollars (USD)229 800) annually. Universal screening would cost R24 000 000 (USD1 600 000) per annum and prevent 3·54 (99·8%) symptomatic TT-HTLV cases in the first year and 0·55 (98·4%) symptomatic TT-HTLV cases in the second year at a cost per TT-HTLV prevented of R6 780 000 (USD450 000) in year one and R43 254 000 (USD2 890 000) in year two. Screening all donors once would cost R16,200,000 (USD1 080 000) or R4 600 000 (USD306 000) per symptomatic TT-HTLV infection prevented in year one. Total costs decrease to R5 100 000 (USD340 000) in year 2 but the cost per TT-HTLV prevented increases to R10 700 000 (USD713 333). CONCLUSION This analysis contributed to the decision not to implement HTLV screening as the healthcare budget and particularly the budget for blood transfusion in SA is insufficient to provide appropriate treatment. Arguably, available resources can be more efficiently utilized in other healthcare programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Vermeulen
- South African National Blood Service, Weltevreden Park, South Africa
| | | | - Wendy Sykes
- South African National Blood Service, Weltevreden Park, South Africa
| | - Ravi Reddy
- South African National Blood Service, Weltevreden Park, South Africa
| | | | - Colwyn Poole
- South African National Blood Service, Weltevreden Park, South Africa
| | - Brian Custer
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Jacquot C, Delaney M. Efforts Toward Elimination of Infectious Agents in Blood Products. J Intensive Care Med 2018; 33:543-550. [PMID: 29562814 DOI: 10.1177/0885066618756589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The US blood supply has never been safer. This level of safety depends on a multifaceted approach including blood donor screening, sensitive infectious disease testing, and good manufacturing practice. However, risks remain for transfusion-transmitted infections due to bacterial contamination of platelets and emerging diseases. Thus, ongoing improvements in screening and testing are required. Newer pathogen reduction technologies have shown promise in further ameliorating the safety of the blood supply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyril Jacquot
- 1 Division of Laboratory Medicine, Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Children's National Health System, Sheikh Zayed Campus for Advanced Children's Medicine, Washington, DC, USA.,2 Division of Hematology, Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Children's National Health System, Sheikh Zayed Campus for Advanced Children's Medicine, Washington, DC, USA.,3 Department of Pediatrics, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA.,4 Department of Pathology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Meghan Delaney
- 1 Division of Laboratory Medicine, Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Children's National Health System, Sheikh Zayed Campus for Advanced Children's Medicine, Washington, DC, USA.,2 Division of Hematology, Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Children's National Health System, Sheikh Zayed Campus for Advanced Children's Medicine, Washington, DC, USA.,3 Department of Pediatrics, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA.,4 Department of Pathology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
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Janssen MP, van Hulst M, Custer B. An assessment of differences in costs and health benefits of serology and NAT screening of donations for blood transfusion in different Western countries. Vox Sang 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/vox.12543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. P. Janssen
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care; UMC Utrecht; Utrecht The Netherlands
- Transfusion Technology Assessment Department; Sanquin Research; Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation; Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - M. van Hulst
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Toxicology; Martini Hospital; Groningen The Netherlands
- Department of PharmacoTherapy, -Epidemiology & -Economics; Department of Pharmacy; University of Groningen; Groningen The Netherlands
| | - B. Custer
- Blood Systems Research Institute; San Francisco CA USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine; UCSF; San Francisco CA USA
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