Contamination transfusionnelle par le VIH de janvier 1980 à septembre 1985

This study reports the results of a retrospective survey of transfusion-related HIV-contamination in patients who were admitted in our neurosurgery department, between the 1st January 1980 and the 30th September 1985. In our area of France, the risk of HIV-contamination is low. During this 5-year-period the blood donors were not tested for HIV. Six hundred twenty-one patients were identified from the operating room registers. The administered blood components were always noted in these registers for each patient. Among these 621 patients, 233 died rapidly. Three hundred eighty files were taken out from the central archives' department. Eight files could not be found. These 380 files were examined for the patient's address, or the family's one, or the regular doctor's name and address. A letter was sent to the latter in order to inform him about the patient's transfusion. The doctor had to ask the patient to order a HIV-test. A recall letter was sent 8 months later as required. The patients who did not have a regular doctor were contacted directly by phone or letter, or indirectly through their family. Thirteen months after the beginning of this survey it was established that 334 patients died (53.5 %) and only 151 patients were found and tested. One of them was HIV-positive. As this patient suffered from a hemophilia B, he had been medically followed and his positive serology was known since 1988. It was impossible to get any answer from 136 other patients who represent 22 % of all patients and 47 % of still alive patients or supposed to be so. The authors point out the low number of answers and the difficulties to localize the patients. The method used seems difficult to apply in case of more important administration of blood components or in case of a high risk of contamination in a given region. The French ministerial recommendations ask the hospitals to join all transfused patients in order to propose a HIV-test. This study shows that it would have been preferable to associate the method with a better information and to offer to the patients who suppose to have been transfused between 1980 and 1985 the possibility of phoning free of charge to the blood bank. In case of a transfusion they are asked to join their regular doctor.