Angeläget med generösare provtagning för hepatit C efter blodtransfusion. Socialstyrelsens nya rekommendation för riskgrupper
Sammanfattning
Transfusion of blood before 1992 was a risk factor for transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV). In 2007, the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) recommended the county councils to identify and offer HCV-screening to everyone who during childhood in 1965?1991 had been at risk for blood transfusion due to heart surgery, cancer, or neonatal care. In practise, it was very hard to identify the persons at risk. Public campaigns, however, resulted in >65 000 screening tests and diagnosis of >600 HCV infections (350 more than expected) transmitted through transfusions in Sweden before 1992. Most tests were from women transfused during pregnancy or delivery, very few were from the defined childhood risk groups, some of them probably unaware of being at risk. Socialstyrelsen has changed the recommendations. The county councils should provide information and free HCV-tests for those who could have been exposed but not identify and trace individuals in the risk groups.