FEDERAL REGULATIONS

WASHINGTON (CN) - The Food and Drug Administration has issued a regulation requiring hospitals and blood banks to establish a system to identify blood and components previously donated by a person whose later blood donation tests positive for hepatitis C. The hepatitis C may be found by testing, reviewing records, or other reliable means. Since the donor's blood may transmit hepatitis C, the FDA requires collectors to quarantine any of the donor's unexpired blood, and notify centers that received the blood to quarantine it and test the donor. Centers that have used the blood in transfusions must notify recipients. The regulation also changes the human immunodeficiency virus rules to be consistent with the new hepatitis C rules. for details and other new regulations.