Donated blood, but received a letter.......?

Question

the letter stated my blood could not be used because it showed exposure to hepatitis. What does that mean? How could I be exposed? Am I in danger of getting Hepatitus? Can I give it to someone else?

Answer 1

I used to work for the American Red Cross. The tests they use for HIV HEP and other diseases are super sensitive and many times cause false positive results. Take the letter to your dr and have them do blood work for you. There is no need in worrying yourself if you don't need to.
Good luck and I hope all turns out well! :)

Answer 2

You should contact the blood center and ask what type of hepatitis you screened positive for. If it is hepatitis B, then ask if they detected the antigen or antibody.

If you have the hepatitis B antigen, then you are a carrier of the virus that causes the disease and can never give blood. If you have the antibody only, you could have it either because you've had the disease or because you've received the immunization. You would have a positive antibody if you have been immunized for it via a serious of immunization shots. Most people who have had hepatitus B never realized that they had it, simply because the symptoms are usually mild. A person might think he had a mild case of the flu.

If antibodies to hepatitis A or C are detected, then you cannot give blood.

Answer 3

Ok here's the thing on Hepatitus. There are six types. But I will only be stating the most common. Hepatitus A, B, and C. All three cause liver Damage and inflammation and only two have vaccinations (A and B).

Hepatitus A is transmited using the fecal/oral route. Meaning:Water that has come in contact with feces and poorly treated before drinking; food that has been handled with feces present; poor sewage treatment; poor or absent cleaning after handling feces or anything that has been in contact with feces. Or Anal Oral sex (rimming and such). A common way of contracting this as well is from poorly handled food.

Hepatitus B is transmitted through unprotected sexual contact, blood transfusions, re-use of contaminated needles and syringes, vertical transmission from mother to child during childbirth, and so on. Chronic Hepatitus B can lead to Cirrhosis of the liver which can lead to liver cancer. There are vaccines for Hepatitus B as well.

Hepatitus C is transmitted by Occurs when blood from an infected person enters the body of a person who is not infected. Common ways for it to spread is through the sharing of needles or "works" when "shooting" drugs, through needlesticks or sharps exposures on the job, or from an infected mother to her baby during birth. Hepatitus has no vaccine.

So you may have either one of these 3. The two you would have a risk of infecting would be with B and C. B has a higher risk.

It is highly suggestable to be blood tested

Answer 4

Mistakes in testing happen all the time. But I would take your letter to your doctor and show him the report.

Your doctor will order a test to determine if you have hepatitis or not.

Many people have been exposed to hepatitis and never knew it. maybe for years.

Depending on the type of Hep you have, yes it is possible for you to give it to someone else by the exchange of body fluids.

Make a Doctor's Appointment.

Answer 5

You may have had hepatitis A or B without being aware of your infection; I have known three people who discovered this after donating blood.

Typically, three tests may be done for Hepatitis B: HBsAg; anti-HBc; and anti-HBs. For Hepatitis A, IgM anti-HAV testing is done. A false positive is always possible.

Contact your physician's office and have them request your screening results from the blood bank. Then see your physician for further recommendations and testing. The blood bank cannot diagnose you; they can only state that their screenings show that you may have been exposed to hepatitis.

Answer 6

Heptitis can remain dormant in the body forever.
If you had hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) caused by a virus, or unexplained jaundice (yellow discoloration of the skin), since age 11, you are not eligible to donate blood. This includes those who had hepatitis with Cytomegalovirus (CMV), or Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), the virus that causes Mononucleosis.

Acceptable if you had jaundice or hepatitis caused by something other than a viral infection, for example: medications, Gilbert's disease, bile duct obstruction, alcohol, gallstones or trauma to the liver. If you ever tested positive for hepatitis B or hepatitis C , at any age, you are not eligible to donate, even if you were never sick or jaundiced from the infection.

Answer 7

I agree with everyone. Take the letter to your doctor. Exposure doesn't automatically mean that you have active hepatitis, it means that you have antibodies. You also need to find out which hepatitis you've been exposed to and what this means to you.

Answer 8

There are several ways you could be exposed, especially to Hep A (viral). Note that exposure doesn't necessarily mean you're going to come down with the disease, though you should be aware that it's a possibility. Hep remains in your system for life.

You are not in danger of transmitting it unless you actually develop the disease.

Answer 9

do get checked out with the doc but before you freak out, know that those tests are VERY sensitive and can have false positives. That could very well be the situation with you.

Unfortunately this finding prohibits you from ever donating blood in the future, unless the rules have changed. With the frequent blood shortages, I'd think they'd agree to allow blood donation if you retested and could show proof.

LOL. how could this elicit a thumbs down? i may have a stalker!!

Answer 10

Take the letter to your doctor. There are several types of hepatitis. B is the most infectious and debilitating. You need to investigate this further.