Role of Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT) in blood safety

The goal of any transfusion service is to provide adequate and safe blood and blood products that meet the needs of patients. Transfusion transmitted infections (TTIS) is a recognized complication of blood transfusion and blood products. Many of these infectious agents may cause lifetime morbidity and/or mortality. The three major TTIs of viral origin associated with blood transfusion are human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV)Nucleic acid testing (NAT) is a molecular technique for screening blood donations to reduce the risk of TTIs in the recipients, thus providing an additional layer of blood safety.