Steroid therapy - Tissue - live donors

Essential information

Obligatory

Must not donate if:

Taking steroid tablets, injections or enemas, or applying creams over large areas.

Discretionary

1. If occasional use of creams over small areas of skin (<9% of body surface area) for minor skin complaints, accept.
2. If using steroid inhalers for prophylaxis, accept.
3. If using steroid eye drops, nasal spray or ear drops for control of allergic symptoms, accept.
4. Discuss with a Designated Clinical Support Officer if:
   Has been taking steroid tablets, injections or enemas, or applying creams over large areas.

For information on other situations where steroid therapy may be acceptable, see Immunosuppression and immunodeficiency.

Supporting information

See if relevant

• Autoimmune disease
• Immunosuppression and immunodeficiency
• Monoclonal antibody therapy and other biological modalities
• Skin disease
• Tissue and cell allograft recipients

Additional information

Steroid therapy in high doses causes immunosuppression. This may mask infective and inflammatory conditions that would otherwise prevent donation.

A small area of skin is defined as <9% (Wallace Rule of Nines). For guidance, 1% is equal to the area of the closed digits and palm of the donor's hand, and 9% is equal to the total area of one arm. Any area >9% is defined as large.

Regulatory information

Part of this advice is a requirement of the EU Tissue and Cells Directive.

Reason for change:

Additional information updated to provide guidance on how to assess the area of skin being treated with steroids. Removal of deferral if donor required treatment with steroids in the 7 days prior to donation for reasons of allergy. Link to ‘Immunosuppression and immunodeficiency’ and ‘Monoclonal antibody therapy and other biological modalities’ entries added.

Version:

Immunosuppression and monoclonal antibody treatments

Version details:

TL-DSG Edition 203 Release 64 (6 October 2026)