Monday, January 24, 2011

Adoption of NAT testing would reduce risk of infection in blood transfusions, says association

Brasilia - The managing director of the Brazilian Association of Hematology, Dante Mario Longhi, Jr., said that if the NAT test (the abbreviation for Nucleic Acid Test) was compulsory in the country, the risk of infections contracted through transfusions of decrease blood 20 times. The NAT test in Brazil is one of the technological innovations that are being developed to combat retroviral diseases.

The phasing is done by the Ministry of Health, through the Policy Coordination of Blood. The procedure used to detect HIV and HCV (hepatitis C), besides increasing safety in blood therapy services in Brazil. He expressed concern about the delay in adopting the test, which is due to significant cost.

"We can not, due to economic reasons, ensuring the highest possible safety in the transfusion took place in Brazil. Government agencies support the idea that this test has relatively high cost and that Brazil is developing a national product. It is pertinent, but Brazil should take these tests that already exist in the market and only then develop the country, "said a news magazine program to Brazil, the National Radio.

Longhi Dante said that the country is in reverse." We to treat as a priority the safety of transfusions and only then seek new options are economically viable, "he added. He says several studies show greater security with the use of the NAT test, among them one of the Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo.

"Blood transfusion is safe in Brazil, but still lacking. The test increases the safety of transfusion, for investigating the presence of some infectious agents, eg, HIV and hepatitis B and C, which makes a screening of the blood that will be donated. "If the blood has material Genetic some of these viruses, it is despised.

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