Postmortem blood tests for HIV,HBV, and HCV in a body donation program

A retrospective analysis of the results of blood tests conducted on body donors received by the Anatomical Gift Registry of the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) was performed. Over the 5-year period from April 1992 through March 1997 a total of 785 body donors were tested for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Hepatitis B and C Viruses (HBV and HCV). Eighteen of the 785 donors (2.3%) tested positive for one of these infectious agents. Two donors were positive for HIV, six were positive for HBV and ten were positive for HCV. The death certificates and files of those donors who tested positive were reviewed and the results are presented here. Blood testing prior to the use of the body donors is an effective and reasonable way of identifying the presence of these infectious agents, thus reducing the risk to those who work with cadavers. The cost for the testing at MCW is about $60 per donor. Clin. Anat. 11:250–252, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.