INDICATORS OF NUCLEIC ACID TESTING UTILIZATION IN THE BRAZILIAN PUBLIC BLOOD NETWORK: A NATIONWIDE ANALYSIS OF DATASUS DATA, 2014–2025
- 1Universidade do Estado do Amazonas (UEA), Manaus, Brazil
- 2Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Manaus, Brazil
Abstract
Introduction: Nucleic acid testing (NAT) is an important component of transfusion safety because it reduces the diagnostic window period of transfusion-transmitted infections. Despite nationwide implementation of NAT in Brazil, comprehensive nationwide indicators describing its utilization, temporal trends, and regional distribution in the public blood network remain scarce. Objectives: To evaluate temporal trends, regional distribution, population-based rates, and the ratio of NAT procedures to blood collections in the Brazilian public blood network from 2014 to 2025. Materials and methods: An ecological time-series study was conducted using approved quantities of NAT procedures and blood collections for transfusion recorded in the Outpatient Information System of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SIA/SUS). Absolute frequencies, rates per 100,000 inhabitants, and the ratio of NAT procedures to blood collections were calculated. Temporal trends were assessed using Prais-Winsten regression, with annual percent change (APC) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Results: From 2014 to 2025, 32,153,389 NAT procedures were approved. The Southeast accounted for 43.9% of all procedures, whereas the highest population-based rates were observed in the Central-West and the lowest in the North. National utilization remained stationary from 2015 to 2025 (APC = 1.3%; 95%CI: −0.3 to 2.9). In 2020, the number of procedures decreased by 13.8% compared with the previous year, followed by recovery in subsequent years. The NAT-to-collection ratio approached unity from 2017 onward and reached 1.02 in 2025. Discussion and Conclusions: NAT utilization remained stable in the Brazilian public blood network, with recovery after the reduction observed in 2020. Differences in population-based rates indicated persistent regional disparities. The NAT-to-collection ratio showed proximity between the aggregated volumes of molecular screening procedures and blood collections recorded in the SUS. These indicators can support the monitoring of transfusion safety, regional planning, and evaluation of blood-screening policies, although they do not directly measure confirmed infections or transfusion-transmitted events.
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BibTeX
@article{figueiredo2026indicators,
title = {{INDICATORS OF NUCLEIC ACID TESTING UTILIZATION IN THE BRAZILIAN PUBLIC BLOOD NETWORK: A NATIONWIDE ANALYSIS OF DATASUS DATA, 2014–2025}},
author = {Erick Frota Gomes FIGUEIREDO and Ricardo FERREIRA-GOMES and Vitória Gabrielly Godinho de SIQUEIRA and Ana Carolina SHUAN LACO and Gisely Cardoso de MELO and Silvania Da Conceição FURTADO and Anne Cristine Gomes de ALMEIDA and Allyson Guimarães da COSTA},
journal = {Hematology, Transfusion and Cell Therapy},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.htct.2026.107152},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.htct.2026.107152},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - INDICATORS OF NUCLEIC ACID TESTING UTILIZATION IN THE BRAZILIAN PUBLIC BLOOD NETWORK: A NATIONWIDE ANALYSIS OF DATASUS DATA, 2014–2025
AU - Erick Frota Gomes FIGUEIREDO
AU - Ricardo FERREIRA-GOMES
AU - Vitória Gabrielly Godinho de SIQUEIRA
AU - Ana Carolina SHUAN LACO
AU - Gisely Cardoso de MELO
AU - Silvania Da Conceição FURTADO
AU - Anne Cristine Gomes de ALMEIDA
AU - Allyson Guimarães da COSTA
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Hematology, Transfusion and Cell Therapy
DO - 10.1016/j.htct.2026.107152
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.htct.2026.107152
AB - Introduction: Nucleic acid testing (NAT) is an important component of transfusion safety because it reduces the diagnostic window period of transfusion-transmitted infections. Despite nationwide implementation of NAT in Brazil, comprehensive nationwide indicators describing its utilization, temporal trends, and regional distribution in the public blood network remain scarce. Objectives: To evaluate temporal trends, regional distribution, population-based rates, and the ratio of NAT procedures to blood collections in the Brazilian public blood network from 2014 to 2025. Materials and methods: An ecological time-series study was conducted using approved quantities of NAT procedures and blood collections for transfusion recorded in the Outpatient Information System of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SIA/SUS). Absolute frequencies, rates per 100,000 inhabitants, and the ratio of NAT procedures to blood collections were calculated. Temporal trends were assessed using Prais-Winsten regression, with annual percent change (APC) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Results: From 2014 to 2025, 32,153,389 NAT procedures were approved. The Southeast accounted for 43.9% of all procedures, whereas the highest population-based rates were observed in the Central-West and the lowest in the North. National utilization remained stationary from 2015 to 2025 (APC = 1.3%; 95%CI: −0.3 to 2.9). In 2020, the number of procedures decreased by 13.8% compared with the previous year, followed by recovery in subsequent years. The NAT-to-collection ratio approached unity from 2017 onward and reached 1.02 in 2025. Discussion and Conclusions: NAT utilization remained stable in the Brazilian public blood network, with recovery after the reduction observed in 2020. Differences in population-based rates indicated persistent regional disparities. The NAT-to-collection ratio showed proximity between the aggregated volumes of molecular screening procedures and blood collections recorded in the SUS. These indicators can support the monitoring of transfusion safety, regional planning, and evaluation of blood-screening policies, although they do not directly measure confirmed infections or transfusion-transmitted events.
SN - 2531-1379
SN - 2531-1387
ER -