FDA Says Red Cross Administered Tainted Blood
January 2, 2003
Federal regulators announced this week that the American Red Cross recently received 134 reports of patients contracting hepatitis B after blood transfusions. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Red Cross, which handles nearly half of the nation's blood supply, failed to investigate the hepatitis cases because of internal policies that call for an investigation only if the donor is known to have had an abnormal hepatitis test. The policies also prohibit inquiries when a patient receives blood from more than 10 donors. The FDA says the procedures violate Federal safety standards.
During its latest inspection of Red Cross headquarters, the FDA, in addition to the hepatitis discovery, found more than 200 violations of Federal safety rules, including employees omitting important safety procedures when handling blood donations and failing to screen out people who should not donate blood.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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