§ 640.3 - Suitability of donor.

Link to an amendment published at 80 FR 29904, May 22, 2015.

(a) Method of determining. The suitability of a donor as a source of Whole Blood shall be determined by a qualified physician or by persons under his supervision and trained in determining suitability. Such determination shall be made on the day of collection from the donor by means of medical history, a test for hemoglobin level, and such physical examination as appears necessary to a physician who shall be present on the premises when examinations are made, except that the suitability of donors may be determined when a physician is not present on the premises, provided the establishment (1) maintains on the premises, and files with the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, a manual of standard procedures and methods, approved by the Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, that shall be followed by employees who determine suitability of donors, and (2) maintains records indicating the name and qualifications of the person immediately in charge of the employees who determine the suitability of donors when a physician is not present on the premises.

(b) Qualifications of donor; general. Except as provided in paragraph (f) of this section and for autologous donations, a person may not serve as a source of Whole Blood more than once in 8 weeks. In addition, donors shall be in good health, as indicated in part by:

(1) Normal temperature;

(2) Demonstration that systolic and diastolic blood pressures are within normal limits, unless the examining physician is satisfied that an individual with blood pressures outside these limits is an otherwise qualified donor under the provisions of this section;

(3) For allogeneic donors, a blood hemoglobin level which shall be demonstrated to be no less than 12.5 grams (g) of hemoglobin per 100 milliliters (mL) of blood; or a hematocrit value of 38 percent, and for autologous donors, a blood hemoglobin level which shall be demonstrated to be no less than 11.0 g of hemoglobin per 100 mL of blood or a hematocrit value of 33 percent.

(4) Freedom from acute respiratory diseases;

(5) Freedom from any infectious skin disease at the site of phlebotomy and from any such disease generalized to such an extent as to create a risk of contamination of the blood;

(6) Freedom from any disease transmissible by blood transfusion, insofar as can be determined by history and examinations indicated above; and

(7) Freedom of the arms and forearms from skin punctures or scars indicative of addiction to self-injected narcotics.

(c) Additional qualifications of donor; viral hepatitis. No individual shall be used as a source of Whole Blood if he has—

(1) A history of viral hepatitis after the 11th birthday;

(2) A history of close contact within 12 months of donation with an individual having viral hepatitis;

(3) A history of having received within 12 months of donation, human blood or any derivative of human blood which the Food and Drug Administration has advised the blood establishment is a possible source of viral hepatitis.

(d) Therapeutic bleedings. Blood withdrawn in order to promote the health of a donor otherwise qualified under the provisions of this section, shall not be used as a source of Whole Blood unless the container label conspicuously indicates the donor's disease that necessitated withdrawal of blood.

(e) [Reserved]

(f) Qualifications; donations within less than 8 weeks. A person may serve as a source of Whole Blood more than once in 8 weeks only if at the time of donation the person is examined and certified by a physician to be in good health, as indicated in part in paragraph (b) of this section.

Effective Date Note:

At 80 FR 29904, May 22, 2015, § 640.3 was removed, effective May 23, 2016.