Latest update December 16th, 2024 9:00 AM
Safer blood for pregnant women at GPHC
With the introduction of immuno-haematological testing and Hepatitis ‘B’ core antigen at the National Blood Transfusion Service [NBTS], it is more difficult now for patients, more so pregnant women, to receive contaminated blood. NBTS Director, Dr. Pedro Lewis, announced yesterday.
NBTS Director, Dr. Pedro Lewis
Dr. Lewis said that while “risks of blood infection are always there”, the new tests have significantly lowered the chance of transmitting transfusion diseases [TTDs] at the nation’s NBTS, housed in the compound of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.
The NBTS conducts a wide array of tests, including those for HIV 1 and 2 [HIV-1 is the most widespread worldwide and HIV2 is found mostly in western Africa; Human T-lymphotropic virus [HTLV 1 and 2] infections associated with certain rare diseases of T lymphocytes [T-cells]; Hepatitis ‘B’ and ‘C’; Chagas Disease; Malaria; Filaria, and Rapid Plasma Regain [RPR] used to test for the presence of Syphilis
“These are serological testing and we now add immuno-haematological testing and now we have added Hepatitis ‘B’ core antigen which help make blood safer for pregnant woman,” Dr. Lewis explained.
For example, the immuno-haematological tests take advantage of the body’s immune system. In order to fight germs or foreign substances, the immune system produces antibodies. Antibodies are proteins that can bind to a specific germ or substance, just like a key fits into a specific keyhole. They “catch” the germs or substances, neutralize them, and attract other immune cells.
Such tests used in laboratories are made by producing artificial antibodies that exactly “match” the substance or germ being tested. When these antibodies encounter a sample of blood, urine or stool, they bind to the matching substance or germ if found in the sample. This reaction shows that the germ or substance is present.
The new leap in expertise by the NBTS was made possible through ongoing networking among the Ministry of Public Health, the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation [PAHO/WHO] and the Guyana/Argentina collaboration, Dr. Lewis said.
He said acquisition of reagents has helped in a major way to make the upward move possible. The NBTS Director revealed that prior to the new expertise, NBTS was only able to detect the existence of the Hepatitis ‘B’ antigen, that is, patients with acute symptoms of the ailment.
Dr. Lewis, moreover, noted that the confidence in the product that the NBTS has to offer to the public and private health institutions around the country to treat patients has increased.
Meanwhile, more platelets will be available to treat patients at both public and private health institutions when the NBTS rolls out its ‘pooled platelets’ programme for patients needing blood transfusion.
“Doctors and patients can look forward for this in the last quarter of this year,” Dr. Lewis said yesterday.
The new programme will complement the Apheresis platelet initiative launched earlier this year which will help to “reduce wastage of resources,” Dr. Lewis said.
Apheresis is a medical technology in which the blood of a person is passed through an apparatus that separates one constituent and returns the remainder to the circulation. It is thus an extracorporeal therapy.
Apheresis platelets are collected from a single donor by using an apheresis machine with an integrated leukoreduction system to remove some 99 percent of white cells. The machine draws blood from the donor, isolates the platelets and some plasma by centrifugation, and returns the remaining blood to its donor. The apheresis machine was invented by American medical technologist Herb Cullis in 1972.
Pooled random donor platelet concentrates are prepared from platelets harvested by centrifuging units of whole blood. Platelets from donor can be pooled into a single bag for transfusion. Platelets will have a five-day expiry period because it will be done in a closed system. It will be pooled, according to iso-groups.
According to Dr. Lewis, the NBTS will use only 25 percent of the number of bags currently utilised to harvest platelets.
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