Screening for human T cell leukaemia/lymphoma virus among blood donors in Sweden: cost effectiveness analysis.

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the cost effectiveness of a national programme to screen blood donors for infection with the human T cell leukaemia/lymphoma virus.

DESIGN

Three models for calculating the costs and benefits of screening were developed. The first model analysed the cost of continuously testing all donations; the second analysed the cost of initially testing new blood donors and then retesting them after five years; the third analysed the cost of testing donors only at the time of their first donation. Patients who had received blood components from donors confirmed to be infected with the virus were offered testing.

SETTING

Sweden.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of infection with the virus among blood donors, the risk of transmission of the virus, screening costs, and the outcome of infection.

RESULTS

648 497 donations were tested for the virus; 1625 samples tested positive by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. 6 were confirmed positive by western blotting. The prevalence of infection with the virus was 2/100 000 donors. 35 patients who had received blood infected with the virus were tested; 3 were positive. The cost of testing every donation was calculated to be $3.02m (1.88m pounds); this is 18 times higher than the cost of testing new donors only, and only 1 additional positive donor would be discovered in 7 years. Regardless of the model used, screening was estimated to prevent only 1 death every 200 years at a minimum cost of $36m (22.5m pounds).

CONCLUSION

Based on these estimates the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare decided that only new blood donors would be screened for infection with the virus.