JPAC Joint United Kingdom (UK) Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services Professional Advisory Committee

Infection - Chronic

Obligatory

Must not donate.

Discretionary

1. Acne:
Most donors with acne can be accepted.

2. Chronic fungal infections:
a) If on local therapy for superficial infections only, accept.


b) If on systemic anti-fungal treatment only for treatment of a localised, non-systemic fungal infection, and there are no complications, accept.


c) If otherwise more than seven days from completing systemic antifungal therapy, accept.


d) If undiagnosed or untreated local infection, refer to designated clinical support officer.

3. Typhoid and Paratyphoid
If more than seven days from completion of antibiotic course and last symptoms, accept.

4. Eyes.
If caused by bacterial infection and the corneas are to be stored by organ culture, accept.

See if Relevant

Acne
Steroid Therapy

Additional Information

Typhoid and paratyphoid are gastrointestinal infections which rarely have a chronic carrier state. It is usually caught while travelling. It is passed by the faecal-oral route and is not transmitted by tissue or cell transplantation.

 

Unusual bacterial/fungal/protozoal infections 

Specialist microbiological advice should be sought when considering using cells and tissues from donors who have had unusual infections in the past, including those acquired outside of Western Europe. This should include infections common in immuno-compromised patients, or infections which lie dormant or may be difficult to eradicate.


Local fungal infections, e.g. nail infection or athlete’s foot

Systemic oral antifungal treatment may be prescribed to treat localised fungal nail infections or athlete’s foot which are difficult to eradicate. Despite the systemic treatment, due to the fact that the infection is localised to the nails/digits the risk to donated tissue/cells is considered to be remote. 
 

Reason for Change

To add guidance for acceptance of donors on oral antifungal treatment for localised nail infections or athlete’s foot.

Update Information

Part of this advice is a requirement of the EU Tissue & Cells Directive.

This entry was last updated in
TDSG-DD Edition 203, Release 42.