A health technology assessment of prion filtration of red cell concentrates to reduce the risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease transmission in Ireland

A health technology assessment of prion filtration of red cell concentrates to reduce the risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease transmission in Ireland

The Authority undertook this health technology assessment (HTA) in response to a request from the Department of Health. This purpose of the HTA was to inform a decision as to whether or not prion filtration of red cell concentrates (RCC) should be adopted as a standard approach by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service.

The HTA evaluated the available evidence on the risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) transmission from transfusion of RCC in Ireland, the safety and efficacy of prion-removing filters and the cost-effectiveness and resource requirements of implementing a policy of prion filtration. It also examined the ethical and legal issues relevant to any decision regarding the implementation or non-implementation of the technology.

This evaluation was completed in January 2011 and was subsequently submitted to the Minister for Health.

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