Iraq, Afghanistan blood fears
18 troops seriously wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan may have received blood which was not properly screened.
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Thursday, 10, Jan 2008 02:24
UK soldiers and civilians seriously wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan may have received blood which was not property screened, it has emerged.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed that 18 soldiers were awaiting the results of medical tests to determine whether they had contracted hepatitis and HIV as a result of the transfusions.
And the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said that six UK contractors in the two conflict zones may have also been affected.
The MoD has admitted the US military donors had not undergone "valid retrospective tests" to establish their blood was cleared for use in transfusion.
However, the American soldiers that gave blood to their British colleagues after they were wounded in the field have already tested negative for both hepatitis and HIV.
An MoD statement explained: "A small number of deployed UK service personnel who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 have received life saving emergency transfusions of US blood or blood products.
"In emergency situations on military operations, where time is of the essence, it can be clinically essential to use American or other coalition medical facilities and their blood or blood products if they can be made available sooner or if they are nearer.
"We are taking this matter seriously, even though only a few individuals are potentially affected, and even for them the actual risk of infection is very low."
An HPA spokeswoman added: "[The six civilian contractors] will be contacted by their GPs and offered screening and counselling."
While all of the personnel involved are being contacted by the MoD, any concerned members of the forces are advised to contact their own doctor or medical officer.
Defence minister Derek Twigg defended the military protocol which allowed the potential for infection, saying the 18 troops would "almost certainly have died without receiving an emergency blood transfusion at the front line".
"The defence secretary acted quickly to ensure that those British service personnel involved were informed as soon as possible," he added.
"We are working with the appropriate health authorities to do all that we can to test and reassure the people involved. We are, and will continue to do all that we can to support them and their families through this uncertain time."