Yes, We Can Donate Organs Even If We Have Hep C.

[jmjm530]

This topic has come up from time to time, yet still the confusion exists.

As an important topic that could potentially save lives, I hought maybe the correct answer deserved it's own thread title as sometimes the correct answer gets buried within a thread that not everyone takes the time to read.

So again, anyone with Hepatitis C -- acute or chronic -- can be an organ donor. What we cannot do is to donate blood. An entirely different topic.

Here's an article that Mike Simon just posted in a current thread on same topic:

"...Some people think that having hepatitis means that they can't be an organ donor. This is a myth. People can still be an organ donor and have acute or even chronic hepatitis.

Organ donation is a tremendous act of kindness, and there is a great need for organ donors of all ages. In fact, there is no age limit. Even if your liver isn't in good enough shape for donation, perhaps other organs and tissues could be used by someone else.

Here are examples of organs, in addition to the liver, that can be used: heart, intestines, kidneys, lungs and pancreas. In addition, certain tissues can also be used: bones, corneas, sclerae, tendons and certain veins.

There are, however, diseases that will prevent organ donation. Examples of two relatively common diseases include being HIV positive and having actively spreading cancer."


From: http://hepatitis.about.com/od/questions/f/OrganDonor.htm

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[meakea]

Thanks again, Mike!

[meakea]

I'm glad you brought this subject up.  I guess I had never seen anything on this subject before so, going with the thinking that organs have blood and blood has Hep C, it seemed like a no brainer.

I was actually late in renewing my DL last month.  I should have done it months ago but I didn't realize it had expired.  When I realized it, I quickly went to the DOT and, their question about organ donor took me by surprise (cuz I hadn't thought about that issue) and all I could do was to tell them to take it off based on my own ignorance.

My family is aware of my wishes so, yes, it's all okay.

I am going to discuss it with my doc next time too as sort of a test to see if he's knows the correct answer.

[mikesimon]

It's really true.
We can be donors if we are HCV positive.
Let the doctors determine whether your organs are suitable for transplantation.
Be an organ donor.
Check the box on your driver license application or let your loved ones know you want to donate your organs.
Thanks.
Mike

[GSDgirl]

just tell your family of your wishes, no problem, in 4 years you can put it back on.

[apache1]

Read an article last summer about a kidney tp from a SVR motorcycle accident victum. That TP was done a year prior. Recipient had not contracted hcv from, the svr kidney...yet. I will look for the article, it was interesting.

So yes you can be a donor...SVR or maybe even chronic hcv for some tp's

As for blood, it was explained to me like this.
A simple, quick, inexpensive antibody test will more than likely show positive, even though there is no viral load or virus present. This is the test used for blood donation.
To distinguish between antibody positive and virus positive takes a more expensive, more time consuming, more sophisticated lab and less convenient pcr or tma rna test.
This makes it not worth the time and money to accept blood from a antibody positive donor.

apache

[meakea]

And here I just took my organ donor status off my driver's license when I renewed it last month because I thought it was a no no.