1. ¹Italian Bone Marrow Donor Registry, Genova, Italy
2. ²The Cyprus Bone Marrow Donor Registry, Nicosia, Cyprus
3. ³The Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust, London, UK
4. ⁴Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical School, Washington, DC, USA
5. ⁵France Greffe de Moelle, Paris, France
6. ⁶Austrian Bone Marrow Donor Registry, Vienna, Austria
7. ⁷Department of Internal Medicine I, Bone Marrow Transplantation, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Correspondence: Dr N Sacchi, Italian Bone Marrow Donor Registry, EO Ospedali Galliera, Via Volta 19, 16128 Genova, Italy. E-mail: nicoletta.sacchi@ibmdr.galliera.it

Received 13 June 2007; Revised 21 December 2007; Accepted 6 February 2008; Published online 24 March 2008.

Abstract

The ability to identify unrelated haematopoietic stem cell donors in one country for recipients in another country requires cooperation and standardization in many areas. The donor assessment and testing are very important issues affecting quality and safety of donation. This special report details the World Marrow Donor Association's recommended procedures regarding the medical evaluation of donors, with the intent to protect the volunteer from the risk to damage his health and to offer the recipient the appropriate quality of stem cells. This document describes criteria for permanent or temporary deferral, guidelines for risk evaluation of infectious disease, examples of conditions requiring assessment and questionnaires designed to elicit relevant information about a donor's medical history and general health.