Eye disease - Whole Blood and Components

Essential information

Obligatory

Must not donate if:

  1. Active ocular inflammation or infection (including conjunctivitis, acute glaucoma, iritis or scleritis).
  2. History of malignancy.
  3. Ocular tissue transplanted.
  4. Within seven days of receiving injected treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
  5. The donor declares a history of optic neuritis.
Discretionary
  1. If chronic glaucoma treatment is with tablets or drops only, accept.
  2. Non-injection treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), accept.
  3. Most donors with poor vision can be accepted but see 'Disabled Donor' if they are not able to read.
  4. If more than seven days from intravitreal injection treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), accept.
  5. If completed course of any eye drops following surgery for a benign condition not requiring ocular tissue transplant and there is no active infection or inflammation, accept.

Supporting information

See if relevant
Additional information

Allogeneic (from another person) ocular tissue may be transplanted in operations other than corneal transplants, including surgery for glaucoma. If surgery was performed after 1997 and any transplanted ocular material was supplied through UK Transplant, this information will be stored on the National Transplant Database held by NHS Blood and Transplant.

There is a risk of bacterial infection and other complications following injection treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This is why a seven day deferral is required.

Intravitreal injection treatment for wet/age-related macular degeneration is with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy, these include Bevacizumab (Avastin® ), Ranibizumab (Lucentis®) and Pegaptanib sodium (Macugen®).

Reason for change:
An entry re Optic Neuritis has been added as well as a link to Central Nervous System Disease
Version details:

WB-DSG Edition 203 Release 38 (01 August 2017)