Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37183482›Full record

ArticleVox sanguinis2023

Removing hepatitis C antibody testing for Australian blood donations: A cost-effectiveness analysis.

Qinglu Cheng, Veronica C Hoad, Avijoy Roy Choudhury, Clive R Seed, Peter Bentley, Sophy T F Shih, Jisoo A Kwon, Richard T Gray, Virginia Wiseman

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Vox sanguinis, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Qinglu ChengKirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3701-8760
Veronica C HoadAustralian Red Cross Lifeblood, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7827-3661
Avijoy Roy ChoudhuryUWA Medical School, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Clive R SeedAustralian Red Cross Lifeblood, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0234-4507
Peter BentleyAustralian Red Cross Lifeblood, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8680-922X
Sophy T F ShihKirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Jisoo A KwonKirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Richard T GrayKirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Virginia WisemanKirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

Funding

Australian GovernmentsNational Health and Medical Research Council APP1151959
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectivesThe risk of transfusion-transmitted hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections is extremely low in Australia. This study aims to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of different testing strategies for HCV infection in blood donations. MATERIALS AND

methodsThe four testing strategies evaluated in this study were universal testing with both HCV antibody (anti-HCV) and nucleic acid testing (NAT); anti-HCV and NAT for first-time donations and NAT only for repeat donations; anti-HCV and NAT for transfusible component donations and NAT only for plasma for further manufacture; and universal testing with NAT only. A decision-analytical model was developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of alternative HCV testing strategies. Sensitivity analysis and threshold analysis were conducted to account for data uncertainty.

resultsThe number of potential transfusion-transmitted cases of acute hepatitis C and chronic hepatitis C was approximately zero in all four strategies. Universal testing with NAT only was the most cost-effective strategy due to the lowest testing cost. The threshold analysis showed that for the current practice to be cost-effective, the residual risks of other testing strategies would have to be at least 1 HCV infection in 2424 donations, which is over 60,000 times the baseline residual risk (1 in 151 million donations).

conclusionThe screening strategy for HCV in blood donations currently implemented in Australia is not cost-effective compared with targeted testing or universal testing with NAT only. Partial or total removal of anti-HCV testing would bring significant cost savings without compromising blood recipient safety.

Indexed as

Blood DonationHepatitis CAustralasian PeopleAustraliaBlood DonorsCost-Effectiveness AnalysisHumansNucleic Acid Amplification Techniquesblood donation testingblood safetycost effectivenesshepatitis C

Identifiers

PMID37183482
PMCPMC10952740

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.