Thousands unaware they have got infected blood products

THOUSANDS of women are unaware that they received potentially infected blood products linked to the hepatitis C scandal.

It is estimated that about 20,000 batches of infected or potentially infected anti-D were administered to women in the 1970s and in the early 1990s. But batch cards and medical information are not available for about 13,000 women, which means health authorities are unable to match women to the blood products. Separately, the Irish Blood Transfusion Service is to try and contact thousands of women who originally tested negatively for the hepatitis C virus to re-test them. Blood experts say there is an exceptionally low risk of infection among the women and the re-testing is a precautionary measure. The re-testing scheme has been ongoing for about three years and 8,000 women have been contacted, of whom 6,000 have been re-tested to-date.

The IBTS said it is to try and contact or trace thousands more over the coming months with a view to re-testing other women. It is not clear why these women did not contract the hepatitis C virus from infected or potentially infected batches. Some may have naturally cleared the virus, but there may also be a small number who showed a negative result in preliminary testing in 1994, but actually have the disease, say experts. It is understood that the women will be contacted through their GPs and will be offered referrals to anti-D units. The IBTS knows that over 20,000 batches of infected or potentially infected anti-D were administered, but only 1,000 or so tested positive for hepatitis C.

In 1998, the blood bank cross-matched the women who were identified from available hospital records as having received potentially infected product, and those who had been tested under a national screening programme.

As a result, they identified about 6,000 women who received it, but tested negatively. The board knew that an additional 13,000 vials of anti-D were administered, in 1977-’78 and 1991-’94, but because of a lack of records they have had difficulties matching women to particular doses.

In some cases, women have changed their address or surnames, while in others, hospitals records not show which woman received which batch.

There were mixed feeling among health authorities over whether to attempt to contact women who had received potentially infected blood products and had tested negatively.

According to the medical experts, the risk was minimal and it was not anticipated that a woman’s previous negative result would change.

However, legal advice received by health authorities said that as a duty of care, a woman has a right to know that she received this particular batch of potentially infected blood product.