CURRENT PERCEIVED RISKS OF TRANSFUSION IN THE UK AND RELEVANCE TO THE FUTURE ACCEPTANCE OF BLOOD SUBSTITUTES

Figures & data

Table I. Rating of Risk Associated with Blood Transfusion and Donation

	GPs (n = 88)	Anaesthetists (n = 143)	Journalists (n = 20)	Blood Donors (n = 250)
General risk (Transfusion)	2.20 ± 0.95	2.48 ± 1.21	1.89 ± 0.94	2.31 ± 1.26
Infection risk (Transfusion)	2.91 ± 1.31	2.97 ± 1.27	2.90 ± 1.12	2.79 ± 1.24
Infection risk (Donation)	1.34 ± 0.80	1.24 ± 0.57	1.15 ± 0.37	1.45 ± 0.78

Values are mean (± s.d.). The numbers of respondents (n) for each grouping are given in parentheses.

Table II. Perception of the Risks Associated with Blood Transfusion

	GPs (n = 75)	Anaesthetists (n = 135)	Journalists (n = 19)	Blood Donors (n = 46)^*
None	6 (8%)	1 (1%)	8 (42%)	26 (57%)
Infection—viral	14 (19%)	21 (16%)	1 (5%)	10 (22%)
Infection—bacterial	9 (12%)	14 (10%)	1 (5%)	3 (7%)
Reaction—acute	30 (40%)	44 (33%)	0	1 (2%)
Reaction—delayed	1 (1%)	8 (6%)	3 (16%)	1 (2%)
Administrative error	18 (24%)	71 (53%)	4 (21%)	6 (13%)
The unknown	1 (1%)	1 (1%)	1 (5%)	0
vCJD	0	0	1 (5%)	1 (2%)
Death	0	0	1 (5%)	0

The numbers of respondents (n) for each grouping are given in parentheses.

^* 53 donors sampled.

Table III. Perception of the Infections Associated with Blood Transfusion

	GPs (n = 86)	Anaesthetists (n = 141)	Journalists (n = 20)	Blood Donors (n = 226)
None	3 (4%)	4 (3%)	5 (25%)	68 (30%)
HIV/AIDS	4 (5%)	9 (6%)	7 (35%)	103 (46%)
Hepatitis	79 (92%)	125 (89%)	8 (40%)	44 (20%)
vCJD	4 (5%)	2 (1%)	2 (10%)	9 (4%)
Malaria	0	1 (1%)	0	1 (0.5%)
Unknown virus	1 (1%)	3 (2%)	0	2 (1%)
Miscellaneous	1 (1%)	4 (3%)	0	8 (4%)

The numbers of respondents (n) for each grouping are given in parentheses.

Table IV. Perception of the Infections Associated with Blood Donation

	GPs (n = 84)	Anaesthetists (n = 141)	Journalists (n = 20)	Blood Donors (n = 228)
None	63 (75%)	118 (84%)	20 (100%)	187 (82%)
HIV/AIDS	1 (1%)	0	0	28 (12%)
Hepatitis	10 (12%)	10 (7%)	0	10 (4%)
Tetanus	0	1 (1%)	0	2 (1%)
vCJD	0	0	0	1 (0.5%)
Infection at site of wound	9 (11%)	11 (8%)	0	0
Unknown virus	1 (1%)	1 (1%)	0	0

The numbers of respondents (n) for each grouping are given in parentheses.

Table V. Preference of Respondents for Own Blood, Donor Blood, Blood Substitute, or None of These Options

	GPs (n = 85)	Anaesthetists (n = 140)	Journalists (n = 18)	Blood Donors (n = 230)
Own blood	79 (93%)	132 (94%)	14 (78%)	167 (73%)
Donated blood	4 (5%)	5 (4%)	4 (22%)	58 (25%)
Blood substitute	2 (2%)	2 (1%)	0	5 (2%)
None of these	0	1 (1%)	0	0

The numbers of respondents (n) for each grouping are given in parentheses.

Table VI. Preference of Respondents for Donor Blood or Blood Substitute

	GPs (n = 77)	Anaesthetists (n = 133)	Journalists (n = 19)	Blood Donors (n = 53)^*
Donated blood	37 (48%)	54 (41%)	14 (74%)	49 (93%)
Blood substitute	40 (52%)	79 (59%)	5 (26%)	4 (7%)

The numbers of respondents (n) for each grouping are given in parentheses.

^*53 donors sampled.