Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Living Donor Hiv Testing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
OPTN board adopts emergency rule narrowing HIV NAT window for living donors to 7 days
Summary
The OPTN Board approved an emergency amendment to require HIV nucleic acid testing for living donors within 7 days of organ recovery, citing two donor‑derived transmissions and stakeholder input emphasizing patient safety. The vote carried with 23 in favor, 2 opposed, and 2 abstentions.
The OPTN Board of Directors voted June 18 to adopt an emergency amendment to OPTN policy 14.4a requiring HIV nucleic acid testing (NAT) for living donors to be obtained as close as possible and within 7 days prior to organ recovery. Chair John McGee framed the vote as action to address recent donor‑derived transmission events and protect patient safety.
DTAC presenter Dr. Stephanie Pouch summarized a recent living‑donor kidney case in which routine pretransplant antigen/antibody testing had been negative but later testing showed donor viremia; the recipient’s post‑transplant viral load was about 163,000. "These events highlighted the need for testing closer to the date of organ procurement," Dr. Pouch said, and DTAC recommended narrowing the NAT window from 28 days to 7 days. Board members pressed about whether a shorter window (for example, 3–5 days) was possible; leadership said CDC and HRSA had been consulted and that while shorter testing is not precluded, 7 days was judged an operationally feasible balance that substantially reduces risk.
The motion to adopt the emergency amendment was moved and seconded and carried in the roll call: the chair reported 23 approved, 2 rejected, and 2 abstained. The board authorized the president or designee to coordinate with HRSA and contracted vendors to implement the change and to publish the amendment for public comment within the required period.
