ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: It is widely known that approximately 99.4% of the safety of the blood supply can be met by the careful history taking of donors. In Korea, however, it is generally accepted that there is difficulty in doing careful history taking because donors are mainly recruited from school or army. This study is focused on analyzing the occupational distribution of anti-HCV or anti-HIV antibody positive donors and re-emphasizing the importance of careful history taking for donors. METHODS: Occupation of antibody positive donors was seaeched out from the computer database of the Korean National Red Cross. For the analysis of anti-HCV immunoblot positive donors, database from Jan. 1996 to Dec. 1996 were used. For the anti-HIV Western blot postive donors, database from 1992 to 1996 were used. RESULTS: 2,761 donors were anti-HCV immunoblot positive and searched out for their occupation. (Additional 80 donors were immunoblot positive, but could not be identified from the computer database.). 82% (2,269 donors) of 2,761 donors was not in the group of Students and Soldiers. Anti-HCV immunoblot positive donors were there in Others (1,015 donors) and in Salariate (820 donors) and in Merchants (313 donors). So, positive rate was the highest in Merchants (0.70%) and the second was others (0.44%). Occupational distribution of anti-HIV westernblot positive donors was nearly the same as that of anti-HCV immunoblot positive donors. CONCLUSION: 82% of anti-HCV immunoblot positive donors was not in the group of students and soldiers. Futhermore, occupational distribution of anti-HIV antibody positive donors was nearly the same as that of anti-HCV antibody positive donors. So, if blood collection staff would try to take a medical histroy carefully for donors, even only for individual donors who visit donation room alone or with a few friends, many risky donors may be excluded from donation, and thereby the safety of blood could be increased by appreciable amount in Korean blood donation program.