Targeted hepatitis C lookback: Quebec, Canada

Abstract

Targeted lookback in the province of Quebec on 3196 components has resulted in the identification of 101 seropositive recipients who did not previously know their HCV status.

Retrospective targeted HCV lookback using centralized contracted notification service

“…Our approach of having a contracted professional service conduct HCV recipient notifications proved to be as effective in identifying deceased recipients as other lookback strategies. The percentage of patients identified as deceased (50%) is within the range of published reports 4‐9 . In those studies, 41 to 71 percent of recipients of blood components targeted for lookback were found to be dead.…”

Probability of receiving testing in a national lookback program: the English HCV experience

“…The rates of tracing recipients, and identifying infections, are broadly similar–or within variations to be expected due to different methods–in other published lookbacks and our own. We report identifying 1 HCV infection for every 12 components entering lookback: 1 infection per 9, 10, and 21 components has been reported from Scotland, 2 Northern Ireland, 3 and Canada, 4 respectively. We report identifying 1 HCV infection for every 8 recipients identified: 1 infection per 2, 4, 5, 5, 6, 8, and 22 5 recipients identified has been reported from Eire, 7 Scotland, Northern Ireland, New Zealand, 5 Canada, Denmark, 6 and The Netherlands (for PCR‐positive donors only), 8 respectively.…”

Hepatitis C

“…56,57 However, in the United States, the effort appears to have been less productive. Consequently, if a blood donor is found to be HCV antibody positive, it is possible that prior donations from that individual were infectious for HCV.…”