Blood donations are tested in order to:
- Allow appropriate selection of blood for transfusion; for example, to permit ABO compatibility between donor and recipient.
- Minimise or prevent (where possible) adverse consequences of transfusion; for example, to prevent transmission of infections that can cause disease in transfusion recipients.
- Identify donors whose donations are not suitable for transfusion. For example, donors who carry transfusion-transmissible infections must be notified and counselled.
All tests are performed in licensed facilities, according to the principles of good laboratory and manufacturing practice, and following the manufacturers’ instructions and strict ARCBS guidelines and standard operating procedures.
In Australia, mandatory tests are for ABO and Rh(D) blood groups, red cell antibodies, and the following infections: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) 1 and 2, Hepatitis B and C, Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus (HTLV) I and II, and syphilis. Test results are checked before blood components are released for clinical use or further manufacture. Only donations that have satisfactory blood group results, are non-reactive for infectious disease screening and meet other defined specifications are released. If an infectious disease screening test is confirmed reactive, the donation is located and destroyed.