Question
A local community hospital contacts the OPO regarding a 68-year-old patient who has suffered a massive subdural hematoma. The hospital physician mentions offhandedly that the referral is pointless because the patient has a history of active, treated Type 2 Diabetes and a history of localized basal cell carcinoma removed 3 years ago. How must the OPO coordinator respond based on OPTN guidelines regarding medical absolute contraindications?
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The Core Answer: The coordinator must state that neither Type 2 Diabetes nor a history of excised localized basal cell carcinoma represents an absolute contraindication to donation, and a full clinical evaluation must be conducted.
Clinical & Regulatory Breakdown: Under federal and OPTN mandates, hospitals are not permitted to self-screen or rule out potential donors based on medical history. Only the OPO can determine donor eligibility. Basal cell carcinoma is a non-metastatic malignancy with a negligible risk of transmission, and diabetic kidneys, while needing biopsy evaluation, are frequently utilized or placed in dual-kidney allocation protocols.
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