Tests We Perform
Here's how we make sure the blood supply is as safe as we can make it.
These tests are performed on every donation, every time.
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ABO/Rh testing - Determines blood type.
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Antibody screening - Looks for red cell antibodies that might cause a reaction in a patient.
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ALT testing - Screens for general liver problems. Infectious disease testing is more specific.
- CMV test - Checks for cytomegalovirus on physicians' request.
- Hepatitis testing - Four tests are performed to ensure that blood does not carry Hepatitis B or C.
- Syphilis testing
- Human T-lymphotropic virus types I and II (HTLV I and II) - This combination test detects possible exposure to rare viruses that are associated with a form of leukemia and a chronic degenerative neurological disease. Confirmatory testing follows a positive HTLV I/II test. Even people with a positive test are rarely affected by the virus - only 1 to 4 percent who have a true positive will develop any disease.
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HIV testing - Two tests are performed to ensure donations do not carry the AIDS virus. These tests are antibody testing and nucleic acid amplification (NAT) testing for the DNA of the HIV virus. This test can detect HIV as soon as 11 days after infection.
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