EFFECT OF ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION ON THE INFECTIVITY OF ICTEROGENIC PLASMA

Abstract
The danger of homologous serum hepatitis from blood and blood products is now well recognized. The literature with respect to its occurrence and incidence has been well summarized by Allen1 and by Paine and Janeway.2 Early encouraging reports3 on the effectiveness of ultraviolet radiation as a method of eliminating or reducing this hazard, at least in the case of serum, led to the introduction of the process as a means of freeing plasma of the virus of serum hepatitis.4 A special feature of this method was that the plasma proteins appeared to be unaffected by the amount of ultraviolet energy used.5 A number of reports6 now indicate that cases of hepatitis are being encountered after administration even of materials that it was believed had been rendered safe by ultraviolet irradiation. One recent study indicates a rate as high as 11.9%7 in patients who