       Document 0855
 DOCN  M9590855
 TI    The HIV information project for transfusion recipients a decade after
       transfusion.
 DT    9509
 AU    King SM; Murphy T; Corey M; Newman AM; Major C; McCrindle BW; Irwin J;
       Stevens M; Fearon M; Poon AO; Division of Infectious Diseases, Hospital
       for Sick Children,; University of Toronto, Ontario.
 SO    Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1995 Jun;149(6):680-5. Unique Identifier :
       AIDSLINE MED/95284931
 AB    OBJECTIVE: To gather information on which to base decisions about a
       general notification program for pediatric patients a decade after their
       receiving transfusions. DESIGN: The physicians of a cohort of 1793
       patients who underwent cardiac surgery were sent letters asking them to
       contact and counsel patients identified from cardiovascular surgery and
       blood bank databases about their risk for human immunodeficiency virus
       (HIV) infection. Questionnaires were used to collect data about
       physicians' HIV practices; telephone interviews were conducted to
       collect information about patients' and parents' knowledge and attitudes
       about HIV and transfusions. Because of unexpected media interest,
       questionnaires and interviews were modified to include questions about
       the source of information. The HIV-testing status of patients reported
       by physicians was anonymously cross-referenced with specimens received
       by the Laboratory Services Branch, Ontario Ministry of Health, Toronto.
       SETTING: A large Canadian pediatric tertiary care hospital in Toronto.
       PARTICIPANTS: Seven hundred ninety-three patients undergoing
       cardiopulmonary bypass between 1980 and 1985. RESULTS: The HIV
       Information Project successfully reached most (approximately 75%) of
       this cohort and, with the help of the media, many other at-risk
       transfusion recipients. The information was new for many; almost all
       informed wanted to undergo testing. The seroprevalence of this group
       that received multiple transfusions was, at minimum, 8.5 patients in
       1000. Six previously unsuspected HIV-seropositive cases were diagnosed.
       CONCLUSIONS: Although we had assumed that most patients receiving
       transfusions would be aware of their risk for HIV infection, our results
       indicate that, even a decade after the transfusion, many recipients were
       not aware of the risk and wanted to undergo testing. Testing identified
       asymptomatic infected patients.
 DE    Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/TRANSMISSION  *Blood Transfusion
       Canada/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Cohort Studies  Health Promotion  Health Surveys
       Human  HIV Seropositivity/*DIAGNOSIS/EPIDEMIOLOGY  Questionnaires
       Support, Non-U.S. Gov't  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

