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

Urinary Catheterisation

Includes

Self-catheterisation, indwelling urinary catheter 

Obligatory

Must not donate if:
a)    Has an indwelling urinary catheter.

b)    It is less than seven days since catheterisation.

Discretionary

If it is seven days or more since catheterisation, there are no symptoms suggestive of urinary tract infection and the underlying condition does not prevent donation, accept.

See if Relevant

Kidney and Bladder Disease

Additional Information

Self-catheterisation is usually needed regularly every day for bladder emptying.

Catheterisation including self-catheterisation is also used to administer drugs directly into the bladder. It is important to ensure that the underlying condition requiring this treatment does not prevent donation.
 

Catheterisation is likely to cause bacteraemia following the procedure. Bacteria can be a serious threat to anybody receiving blood or blood components. This is because they can multiply to dangerous levels after collection.  The waiting time after catheterisation is to allow any bacteria that have entered the blood stream to be cleared. 

Indwelling urinary catheters are associated with ongoing, sometimes asymptomatic, urinary infection with the associated risk of bacteraemia. The underlying condition may prevent donation. 

Reason for change

Title changed to allow inclusion of guidance for individuals with indwelling catheters as well as those who undertake self-catheterisation.

Discretionary guidance to be able to accept some donors who require catheterisation periodically has been added, and additional information regarding this has been included.

A link to Kidney and Bladder Disease has been added.

Donor Information

If you wish to obtain more information regarding a personal medical issue please contact your National Help Line.

Please do not contact this web site for personal medical queries, as we are not in a position to provide individual answers.

Update Information

This entry was last updated in:
DSG-WB Edition 203, Release 61.