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# 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 7 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 the Disabled donor entry if they are not able to read.
  4. If more than 7 days from intravitreal injection treatment for 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
  - Autoimmune disease
  - Central nervous system disease
  - Diabetes mellitus
  - Disabled donor
  - Infection, general
  - Laser treatment
  - Malignancy
  - Shunts, stents and devices
  - Steroid therapy
  - Thrombosis and thrombophilia
  - Tissue and organ recipients
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 (NHSBT).

  There is a risk of bacterial infection and other complications following injection treatment for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This is why a 7-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??).

Regulatory information

  Part of this entry is a requirement of the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005.

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)

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