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

Cardiovascular Disease

Obligatory

Must not donate if has or has had:
a) An aneurysm.

b) Cardiomyopathy.

c) Ischaemic heart disease or angina regardless of cause.

d) Heart failure.

e) Myocarditis and is less than 12 months from recovery.

f) Peripheral vascular disease (including intermittent claudication and gangrene).

g) Has required surgery for a blocked or narrowed artery including any type of amputation.

h) Recurrent thrombophlebitis or thrombosis.

i) Valvular heart disease.

j) Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB) and/or Right Bundle Branch Block (RBBB)

Discretionary

a) If a berry aneurysm has been treated by interventional radiology or surgery (without the use of dural grafting, or after 1992 in the UK) and the person has not had a stroke or suffered neurological deficit, accept.

b) If an incidental heart murmur has been heard or a valve abnormality has been found at echo, which is asymptomatic and does not require follow up, accept

c) If asymptomatic and there is no treatment planned for Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO), accept

d) If a congenital heart defect has been treated medically or surgically, cure has been achieved (or the defect has spontaneously resolved) and donation is not excluded because of a transfusion history, accept

See if Relevant

Blood Pressure - High
Central Nervous System Disease
Cardiac Surgery
Endocarditis
Indwelling Shunts and Stents and Implanted Devices 
Thrombosis and Thrombophilia 

Additional Information

A history of 'Cardiovascular Disease' means that removing blood from their circulation may put the donor at risk of having a heart attack, stroke or other vascular incident. Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) is a normal variant found in up to 40% of the population at post mortem. If it is asymptomatic and no treatment or surgery is planned for this atrial septal defect, donors can be accepted. Incidental heart murmurs and valve abnormalities are increasingly being found due to the sensitivity of new testing regimes they are of no clinical significance if asymptomatic and they do not require follow up, donors may be accepted. Bundle Branch Block (BBB) is either congenital or caused by ischaemic heart disease. Deferral is a requirement of BSQR for the former.

Reason for change

To add information about Bundle Branch Block (BBB).

Donor Information

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Update Information

This entry was last updated in:
DSG-WB Edition 203, Release 18.