CRITERIA

Any healthy person between the ages of 18 and 60 can become a bone marrow donor. However, there are some contraindications, such as HIV infection, the presence of HBs antigen, anti-HCV antibodies in the presence of HCV RNA , tuberculosis in the last 2 years, active asthma requiring steroid treatment, diabetes, heart disease and other conditions requiring constant medication. You should inform your doctor about any condition or concern during registration and later during qualification.

 

The basic criteria that may disqualify a donor are:

 

• HIV infection (or belonging to a group at increased risk of HIV infection)

• presence of HBs antigen, anti-HCV antibodies in the presence of HCV RNA (presence of HBc antibodies and previous infection with hepatitis A virus are acceptable)

• neoplastic diseases

• active tuberculosis within the last 5 years

• mental illness

• advanced diabetes

• Active asthma requiring medication (if the candidate has not had an asthma attack in the last 5 years and is not taking medication, they may be eligible)

• previous heart attack, vascular heart surgery (bypass) and other conditions requiring continuous medication (mitral valve prolapse, arrhythmias not requiring treatment are acceptable)

• epilepsy (if the patient is taking anti-epileptic drugs and has not had more than one seizure in the past year, the donor may be eligible)

• hypertension – if maintained at normal levels by medication then the candidate may be accepted)

• use of certain hormonal medications (consultation with a doctor at the Transplant Clinic)

• pregnancy – pregnancy and lactation absolutely disqualify the donor (temporarily)

• psoriasis

 

You should always inform the doctor who recruits you of any illnesses or health problems you know about. Often, the severity of the illness or the time that has passed since the health problem occurred will determine disqualification.

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Permanent or temporary disqualification may also be caused by:

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• stay in prison

• tattoos (if at least a year has passed since its execution, the tattoo is not a contraindication)

• Taking drugs or other psychoactive substances

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Bone marrow or stem cell transplants are methods with a high risk of complications for the recipient (patient), therefore the decision to transplant the patient is made only when the expected benefits significantly outweigh the risks and there are no other, more effective methods of treatment. Making this decision is a multi-stage process and is based on medical data and the patient's decisions. ​

 

A bone marrow transplant significantly increases patients' chances of overcoming the disease. Younger people, especially children, have a better prognosis. Survival depends on the type of disease, its stage and the so-called prognostic factors, e.g. genetic disorders, comorbidities that occur in the patient.

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Bone marrow can only be donated HONORABLE and selflessly. The donor and recipient remain unknown to each other for at least a year. After this period, at the request of both parties, their data may be disclosed and thus a meeting may be held in the presence of registers representing the donor and recipient.

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Remember that the decision to become a bone marrow donor is an important and responsible step that can save someone's life. Therefore, think carefully to make your decision well-thought-out. Withdrawing your consent at the qualification stage for a specific patient may deprive him or her of a chance for recovery.

 

Bone marrow collection is safe, but like any medical procedure, it may have side effects:

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• Flu-like symptoms - such as increased temperature, bone pain, muscle pain, headaches or a feeling of general weakness and fatigue. They are associated with taking the growth factor G-CSF before collecting stem cells from peripheral blood.

• Minor and temporary health inconveniences - such as pain at the donor site, feeling tired, and sometimes numbness or tingling around the mouth and fingers.

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More serious complications are extremely rare, but include rupture of a vein during blood donation, hematoma formation, sore throat and hoarseness, nausea, severe drowsiness, and long-term hip pain after bone marrow harvesting from the iliac plate. Most of them are the result of anesthesia.

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REMEMBER! 

All tests related to bone marrow donation should be performed as close as possible to your place of residence or stay.