Popis: |
38.5% or 10 of 26 children with thalassemia who had received blood transfusion have tested positive for HIV at the Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar. Blood for transfusion was obtained from commercial suppliers in Miami, Florida, since late 1970. Since December 1985 all blood for transfusion has been tested for HIV for ELISA kits from Abbott Laboratories, Chicago, Ill, and confirmed by Western Blot. These children ranged from 3-13 years old, mean 7.7, and had received an average of 63.5 transfusions. All had been given at least 30 transfusions. Children testing negative for HIV averaged 35.0 lifetime transfusions. 4 of the affected children had persistent generalized lymphadenopathy, but no other symptoms were recorded. |