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Soldiers 'may have received contaminated blood'
By Sam Marsden and Celia Paul, The Independent (UK), 10 Jan 08
Article link (links to more stories below story text)
Wounded British soldiers may have been exposed to contaminated blood after the US military failed to follow its own testing procedures, Defence Minister Derek Twigg said today.
Eighteen soldiers seriously injured in Iraq or Afghanistan were given transfusions using batches of blood sourced from the American military as part of their emergency treatment.
The blood may not have been properly screened and "certified" after it was donated, leaving a risk that it could have been contaminated with infections such as HIV, hepatitis or syphilis, the Sun reported.
Mr Twigg told GMTV today: "The procedures weren't followed in terms of retrospective testing by the Americans.
"We work very closely with the Americans in terms of battlefield casualties, and a number of our people have been saved by the Americans at their medical centres."
He said the risk of infection was "low" but stressed the matter was being taken "extremely seriously".
The minister also defended delays in informing the 18 soldiers who could have received contaminated blood.
He said: "What's been very important is we had to go through the records very carefully to make sure we do identify those people who have potential risk.
"Of course those include many thousands of records, and it's important to get it right, and that's what we did.
"As soon as we had confirmation of the names, we started the process of informing people and their GPs and medical officers."
Both the British and the US military have now reviewed their procedures.
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said: "We are contacting every one of the very small number of UK service personnel whose transfusions might not have had a valid retrospective test.
"However, any member of the forces who is concerned about a blood transfusion they received on deployed operations should contact their own doctor or medical officer."
It added: "The MoD is determined to provide UK service personnel with the best possible medical care when deployed on operations.
"To that end the UK and US co-operate closely in developing world class life-saving medical care."
It is believed that all 18 soldiers have been found and informed of the risk of infection.
UK Sky News
ananova.com
Soldiers 'may have received contaminated blood'
By Sam Marsden and Celia Paul, The Independent (UK), 10 Jan 08
Article link (links to more stories below story text)
Wounded British soldiers may have been exposed to contaminated blood after the US military failed to follow its own testing procedures, Defence Minister Derek Twigg said today.
Eighteen soldiers seriously injured in Iraq or Afghanistan were given transfusions using batches of blood sourced from the American military as part of their emergency treatment.
The blood may not have been properly screened and "certified" after it was donated, leaving a risk that it could have been contaminated with infections such as HIV, hepatitis or syphilis, the Sun reported.
Mr Twigg told GMTV today: "The procedures weren't followed in terms of retrospective testing by the Americans.
"We work very closely with the Americans in terms of battlefield casualties, and a number of our people have been saved by the Americans at their medical centres."
He said the risk of infection was "low" but stressed the matter was being taken "extremely seriously".
The minister also defended delays in informing the 18 soldiers who could have received contaminated blood.
He said: "What's been very important is we had to go through the records very carefully to make sure we do identify those people who have potential risk.
"Of course those include many thousands of records, and it's important to get it right, and that's what we did.
"As soon as we had confirmation of the names, we started the process of informing people and their GPs and medical officers."
Both the British and the US military have now reviewed their procedures.
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said: "We are contacting every one of the very small number of UK service personnel whose transfusions might not have had a valid retrospective test.
"However, any member of the forces who is concerned about a blood transfusion they received on deployed operations should contact their own doctor or medical officer."
It added: "The MoD is determined to provide UK service personnel with the best possible medical care when deployed on operations.
"To that end the UK and US co-operate closely in developing world class life-saving medical care."
It is believed that all 18 soldiers have been found and informed of the risk of infection.
UK Sky News
ananova.com
