Blood Transfusions
In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of people diagnosed with hepatitis C. This disease is a serious liver infection that can lead to death. One of the most common ways that people contract hepatitis C is through blood transfusions.
While the risk of contracting hepatitis C through a blood transfusion has decreased significantly in recent years, it is still important to take measures to reduce this risk as much as possible. One such measure is to screen all donated blood for the virus. This ensures that any blood infected with hepatitis C is not distributed to patients who could then contract the virus. While this measure alone cannot eliminate the risk of hepatitis C transmission through blood transfusions, it can greatly reduce it. Therefore, it is an important step in protecting the health of transfusion recipients.
There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, making prevention critical. One measure that can be taken to reduce the risk of contracting it through a blood transfusion is prophylactic treatment with antiviral drugs for people who have had multiple transfusions or who are at high risk for the virus. This treatment should be given before and after transfusions.
