Tissue donation

There are a number of absolute contraindications to tissue donations. These include the following circumstances EXCEPT for which one?

a) A patient with a family history of Creutzfeldt–Jacob disease (CJD)

b) A patient with Alzheimer’s disease

c) A patient with multiple sclerosis

d) A patient who has had a previous transplant requiring immunosuppressive

treatment even if that treatment was not being received at the time of death

e) Donation of corneas and sclera from a patient who has died with a proven

diagnosis of metastatic carcinoma of the colon

Answer: e

Explanation

The criteria for tissue donation are different to those for organ donation and vary in

terms of age and medical suitability depending on the tissue to be donated. There is no

defined upper age limit for any tissue donation. Tissue can be retrieved up to 24 hours

after death and up to 48 hours after death for heart valves. Tissues that can be donated

include eyes for corneal and scleral donation, heart for heart-valve donation, bone,

tendons, menisci and skin. There are a number of absolute contraindications for tissue

donation. These include the following.

Patients who have ever:

* tested positive for HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, human T cell lymphotrophic virus

or syphilis or have high-risk behavioural factors for contracting these infections

* suffered from Creutzfeldt–Jacob disease or have a family history of CJD

* had a progressive neurological disease of unknown pathophysiology, e.g. multiple

sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease or motor neurone disease

* suffered from leucaemia, lymphoma or myeloma

* had a previous transplant requiring immunosuppressive treatment

* had a systemic malignancy (of note, patients with systemic malignancy can

donate eye tissue).

Reference

The Intensive Care Society Working Group for Organ and Tissue Donation. Guidelines

for adult organ and tissue donation. The Intensive Care Society, 2005. Online at www.

ics.ac.uk (Accessed 30 October 2009)