Critical Review of Emerging Automated Rapid Diagnostic and Point-of-Care Testing Devices for the Detection of Alcohol Use History among Potential Blood Donors

Abstract

Identifying a history of alcohol consumption in prospective blood donors is a critical component of safeguarding the blood supply. Conventional laboratory analyses are often constrained by extended processing durations and significant expense. Innovative technologies, including automated rapid diagnostic (ARD) test strips and point-of-care testing (POCT) instruments for example, breathe analyzers, oral fluid tests, and assays for blood biomarkers present a viable alternative for swift and precise preliminary screening. This review provides a critical assessment of contemporary ARD and POCT tools for the routine detection of recent alcohol use among blood donors. We examine their benefits and drawbacks, encompassing analytical sensitivity, specificity, susceptibility to erroneous readings, and their feasibility within donation environments to enhance transfusion safety and operational economy. Principal conclusions suggest that although POCT improves screening throughput, concerns persist regarding performance consistency and a lack of uniform standards. Additional investigation and rigorous validation are essential to confirm the dependability of these technologies and to facilitate their adoption into standard blood donor screening procedures.