Seeking AST Member Input on PHS Donor Testing Guidelines

As some of you may be aware, the issue of donor-derived disease transmission has become very hot in the field. On September 21, proposed new guidelines from the Public Health Service regarding donor testing for HIV, HCV and HBV were released for public comment in the Federal register. In general, in an attempt to completely eradicate infectious risk, the guidelines propose NAT testing of essentially all donors (living and deceased) in the peritransplant period. This has several potential consequences for our patients and our field. AST is, in conjunction with ASTS and several other interested organizations, are preparing a detailed response. We encourage your review of the guidelines and would be very interested in your thoughts (blog away...) as we formulate our reply.

Robert S. Gaston