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Advisory Committee On The Virological Safety Of Blood
The Advisory Committee on the Virological Safety of Blood, often abbreviated to ACVSB, was a committee formed in March 1989 in the United Kingdom to devise policy and advise ministers and the Department of Health on the safety of blood with respect to viral infections. The scope of the ACVSB concerned areas of significant policy for the whole of the United Kingdom and operated under the terms of reference: "To advise the Health Departments of the UK on measures to ensure the virological safety of blood, whilst maintaining adequate supplies of appropriate quality for both immediate use and for plasma processing." Of particular emphasis to the remit was the testing of blood donors using surrogate markers for Non-A Non-B hepatitis (NANBH) and later on, HCV-screening of blood donors. The first meeting took place on 4 April 1989 and was chaired by the (then) Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), Dr E L Harris. From August 1989, Dr J Metters, also DCMO, sat as chair. The advice to be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
DHSS
The Department of Health and Social Security (commonly known as the DHSS) was a ministry of the British government in existence for twenty years from 1968 until 1988, and was headed by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Services. History Until 1968 the social security responsibilities had been split between the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance, and the health responsibilities by the Ministry of Health. In 1988 the department was split again into a separate Department of Health and the Department of Social Security. In 2001 the Department for Work and Pensions was formed from the Department of Social Security, absorbing the employment functions which had previously been the responsibility of the Department for Education and Employment since the dissolution of the Department of Employment in 1995. Ministers * Minister of State for Health and Social Security Impact Even two and a half decades after its abolition, the initials "DHSS" continue to be used ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coagulation
Coagulation, also known as clotting, is the process by which blood changes from a liquid to a gel, forming a blood clot. It potentially results in hemostasis, the cessation of blood loss from a damaged vessel, followed by repair. The mechanism of coagulation involves activation, adhesion and aggregation of platelets, as well as deposition and maturation of fibrin. Coagulation begins almost instantly after an injury to the endothelium lining a blood vessel. Exposure of blood to the subendothelial space initiates two processes: changes in platelets, and the exposure of subendothelial tissue factor to plasma factor VII, which ultimately leads to cross-linked fibrin formation. Platelets immediately form a plug at the site of injury; this is called ''primary hemostasis. Secondary hemostasis'' occurs simultaneously: additional coagulation (clotting) factors beyond factor VII ( listed below) respond in a cascade to form fibrin strands, which strengthen the platelet plug. Disorders of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Penrose Inquiry
The Penrose Inquiry was the public inquiry into hepatitis C and HIV infections from NHS Scotland treatment with blood and blood products such as factor VIII, often used by people with haemophilia. The event is often called the Tainted Blood Scandal or Contaminated Blood Scandal. It was not in the terms of reference of the inquiry to examine events in England, a statutory public inquiry has never been held in England. The Penrose Inquiry was set up by Scottish Government under the Inquiries Act 2005 and cost £12,123,754. It was announced by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 April 2008. The Rt Hon Lord Penrose was the chairman of the inquiry. Andrea Summers was the Solicitor for the Inquiry and following this Inquiry was appointed to the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. The Inquiry took six years and the victims branded it a "total whitewash". Publication Lord Penrose did not attend the launch of the final report which was held on 25 March 2015 in Edinburgh. He was reported to have been too il ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Contaminated Haemophilia Blood Products
Contaminated hemophilia blood products were a serious public health problem in the late 1970s up to 1985. These products caused large numbers of hemophiliacs to become infected with HIV and hepatitis C. The companies involved included Alpha Therapeutic Corporation, Institut Mérieux (which then became Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Inc., and is now part of Sanofi), Bayer Corporation and its Cutter Biological division, Baxter International and its Hyland Pharmaceutical division. Estimates range from 6,000 to 10,000 hemophiliacs in the United States becoming infected with HIV. Factor VIII is a protein that helps the clotting of blood, which hemophiliacs, due to the genetic nature of their condition, are unable to produce themselves. By injecting themselves with it, hemophiliacs can stop bleeding or prevent bleeding from starting; some use it as often as three times a week. Initial concerns In 1981 concern was growing over an unidentified infectious disease associated with immune system ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Contaminated Blood Scandal In The United Kingdom
In the 1970s and 1980s, a large number of people – most of whom had haemophilia – were infected with hepatitis C and HIV, the virus that leads to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), as a result of receiving contaminated clotting factor products. In the United Kingdom, these were supplied by the National Health Service (NHS). The Haemophilia Society estimates that around 4,700 people with bleeding disorders were infected, with some estimates as high as 6,000. As of August 2022, at least 2,400 people have died from the use of contaminated factor VIII and factor IX clotting agents and the viruses they transmitted. More broadly, contaminated blood transfusions and blood products provided by the NHS are thought to have infected around 25,000–30,000 people with viruses during the period. People with haemophilia were principally infected via the plasma-derived product known as factor VIII, a processed pharmaceutical product sourced from the United States and elsewhere. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Waiver
A waiver is the voluntary relinquishment or surrender of some known right or privilege. Regulatory agencies of state departments or the federal government may issue waivers to exempt companies from certain regulations. For example, a United States law restricted the size of banks, but when banks exceeded these sizes, they obtained waivers. In another example, the United States federal government may issue waivers to individual states so that they may provide Medicaid in different ways than the law typically requires. While a waiver is often in writing, sometimes a person's words can also be used as a counteract to a waiver. An example of a written waiver is a disclaimer, which becomes a waiver when accepted. When the right to hold a person liable through a lawsuit is waived, the waiver may be called an exculpatory clause, liability waiver, legal release, or hold harmless clause. In some cases, parties may sign a "non-waiver" contract which specifies that no rights are waived, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HIV Haemophilia Litigation
The HIV Haemophilia Litigation 99041 BMLR 171, 990140 NLJR 1349 (CA), 989E N. 2111, also known as AMcG002, and HHL, was a legal claim by 962 plaintiffs, mainly haemophiliacs (but also their wives, partners and children), who were infected with HIV as a result of having been treated with blood products in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The first central defendants were the then Department of Health, with other defendants being the Licensing Authority of the time, (MCA), the CSM (the Committee on the Safety of Medicines), the CBLA (Central Blood Laboratories Authority), and the regional health authorities of England and Wales. In total, there were 220 defendants in the action. The litigation commenced around April 1989 and by 7 July 1989, at least 300 plaintiffs had joined the action. Within four months another 300 haemophiliacs had joined the action, however, by this time, (November 1989) 163 haemophiliacs had already developed full-blown AIDS and 107 had died. There was an in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hansard
''Hansard'' is the traditional name of the transcripts of parliamentary debates in Britain and many Commonwealth countries. It is named after Thomas Curson Hansard (1776–1833), a London printer and publisher, who was the first official printer to the Parliament at Westminster. Origins Though the history of the ''Hansard'' began in the British parliament, each of Britain's colonies developed a separate and distinctive history. Before 1771, the British Parliament had long been a highly secretive body. The official record of the actions of the House was publicly available but there was no record of the debates. The publication of remarks made in the House became a breach of parliamentary privilege, punishable by the two Houses of Parliament. As the populace became interested in parliamentary debates, more independent newspapers began publishing unofficial accounts of them. The many penalties implemented by the government, including fines, dismissal, imprisonment, and investigati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parvovirus B19
Primate erythroparvovirus 1, generally referred to as B19 virus (B19V), parvovirus B19 or sometimes erythrovirus B19, is the first (and until 2005 the only) known human virus in the family ''Parvoviridae'', genus ''Erythroparvovirus''; it measures only 23–26 nm in diameter. The name is derived from Latin, parvum meaning small, reflecting the fact that B19 ranks among the smallest DNA viruses. B19 virus is most known for causing disease in the pediatric population; however, it can also affect adults. It is the classic cause of the childhood rash called fifth disease or erythema infectiosum, or "slapped cheek syndrome". The virus was discovered by chance in 1975 by Australian virologist Yvonne Cossart. It gained the B19 name because it was discovered in well B19 of a large series of microtiter plates. Virology Erythroviruses belong to the ''Parvoviridae'' family of small DNA viruses. Human parvovirus B19 is a non-enveloped, icosahedral virus that contains a single-stranded ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yersinia
''Yersinia'' is a genus of bacteria in the family Yersiniaceae. ''Yersinia'' species are Gram-negative, coccobacilli bacteria, a few micrometers long and fractions of a micrometer in diameter, and are facultative anaerobes. Some members of ''Yersinia'' are pathogenic in humans; in particular, '' Y. pestis'' is the causative agent of the plague. Rodents are the natural reservoirs of ''Yersinia''; less frequently, other mammals serve as the host. Infection may occur either through blood (in the case of ''Y. pestis'') or in an alimentary fashion, occasionally via consumption of food products (especially vegetables, milk-derived products, and meat) contaminated with infected urine or feces. Speculations exist as to whether or not certain ''Yersinia'' can also be spread by protozoonotic mechanisms, since ''Yersinia'' species are known to be facultative intracellular parasites; studies and discussions of the possibility of amoeba-vectored (through the cyst form of the protozoan) ''Y ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Public Health Laboratory
Public health laboratories (PHLs) are governmental reference laboratories that protect the public against diseases and other health hazards. The 2005 International Health Regulations came into force in June 2007, with 196 binding countries that recognised that certain public health incidents, extending beyond disease, ought to be designated as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), as they pose a significant global threat. The PHLs serve as national hazard detection centres, and forward these concerns to the World Health Organization. International accreditation In 2007, Haim Hacham ''et al.'' published a paper addressing the need for and the process of international standardised accreditation for laboratory proficiency in Israel. With similar efforts, both the Japan Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment (JAB) and the European Communities Confederation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EC4) have validated and convened ISO 15189 Medical l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prion
Prions are misfolded proteins that have the ability to transmit their misfolded shape onto normal variants of the same protein. They characterize several fatal and transmissible neurodegenerative diseases in humans and many other animals. It is not known what causes a normal protein to misfold, but the resulting abnormal three-dimensional structure confers infectious properties by collapsing nearby protein molecules into the same shape. The word ''prion'' is derived from the term, "proteinaceous infectious particle". In comparison to all other known infectious agents such as viroids, viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites, all of which contain nucleic acids ( DNA, RNA, or both), the hypothesized role of a protein as an infectious agent stands in contrast. Prion isoforms of the prion protein (PrP), whose specific function is uncertain, are hypothesized as the cause of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), including scrapie in sheep, chronic wasting disease (CWD) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
