Sangre Segura: An Epidemiological Study of Blood Transfusion Safety in the Mexico-U.S. Border Region

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Investigator: Edward Murphy, MD, MPH
Sponsor: UC Office of the President

Location(s): Mexico; United States

Description

Although Mexico still depends on family donation, there has been an increase in promoting repeated volunteer donation. There has been improvements in screening tests, and the recent introduction of the molecular biology tests, all performed in an effort to increase the safety of our blood supply. On the other hand, the role played by the physician who indicates the transfusion is paramount to reinforce (or make more vulnerable) the transfusion chain which begins with the donor volunteer or not and ends when the patient receives the transfused blood product. All this transfusion chain is susceptible (and it is recommended) to being monitored through a hemovigilance system. the Blood Systems Research Institute participates in this monitoring.