Considerations for screening live kidney donors for endemic infections: a viewpoint on the UNOS policy.

Abstract

In February 2013, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network mandated that transplant centers perform screening of living kidney donors prior to transplantation for Strongyloides, Trypanosoma cruzi and West Nile virus (WNV) infection if the donor is from an endemic area. However, specific guidelines for screening were not provided, such as the optimal testing modalities, timing of screening prior to donation and the appropriate selection of donors. In this regard, the American Society of Transplantation Infectious Diseases Community of Practice, together with disease-specific experts, has developed this viewpoint document to provide guidance for the testing of live donors for Strongyloides, T. cruzi and WNV infection, specifically identifying at-risk populations and testing algorithms, including advantages, limitations and interpretation of results.

• Authors: M E Levi, D Kumar, M Green, M G Ison, D Kaul, M G Michaels, M I Morris, B S Schwartz, I A Echenique, E A Blumberg, AST ID Community of Practice
• Journal: American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (Am J Transplant) Vol. 14 Issue 5 Pg. 1003-11 (May 2014) ISSN: 1600-6143 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24636427 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © Copyright 2014 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Topics

• Algorithms
• Communicable Diseases (diagnosis, epidemiology, transmission)
• Donor Selection
• Endemic Diseases
• Humans
• Kidney Transplantation
• Mass Screening
• Tissue Donors
• Tissue and Organ Harvesting (standards)
• United States (epidemiology)