A colleague at a blood collection center in California asks about eligibility of a prospective donor who has significant degenerative lumbar disk disease, and who has successfully donated blood twice while managing his pain with oral medications. In November of 2004 he had an intrathecal morphine pump placed, with the morphine circulating within the CSF, primarily at T10 and below. His physician commented that only minute amounts of morphine actually enter the bloodstream with this type of delivery system. The prospective donor is eager to begin donating again.

The California colleague is interested learning how others would manage this type of donor. Do others have concerns about the potential for an increased risk of adverse reactions to blood donation by such a donor?

The following comments have been received.

ADDENDA Apr. 26, 2005

1. A Chief Medical Officer of a blood center in Texas reports that his center has accepted donors who have had an intrathecal morphine pump placed, so that morphine can circulate within the CSF. He says that they have not noticed any problems with adverse reactions in these donors, and concludes saying "We accept such donors because we couldn’t come up with any good reason not to draw them."

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Ira A. Shulman, MD
CBBS e-Network Forum Editor & Moderator