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# Steroid therapy - Whole blood and components

## Essential information

Obligatory

  Must not donate if:

  1. Taking steroid tablets, injections, or enemas, or applying creams over large areas for periods of more than 3 weeks in the last 6 months.
  2. Less than 7 days after completing a course of oral or injected steroids for asthma, other disorders associated with allergy or a musculoskeletal condition.
  3. A donor has needed long-term (6 months or more) treatment within the last 12 months.
Discretionary
  1. If occasional use of creams over small areas of skin 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. If more than 7 days from completing a course of intramuscular, periarticular or intra-articular injected steroids for a musculoskeletal condition, accept unless the musculoskeletal condition itself would lead to deferral.

## Supporting information

See if relevant
  - Adrenal failure
  - Allergy
  - Asthma
  - Autoimmune disease
  - Skin disease
Additional information

  A large area of skin is defined as >9% (Wallace Rule of Nines). 1% is equal to the area of the closed digits and palm of the donor's hand.

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

  Some individuals have to take replacement steroid hormones because they do not produce enough themselves. The dose of these must be increased during times of stress. It is considered that taking blood from people who need replacement therapy may put them at unnecessary risk.

  Long-term steroid therapy may cause temporary adrenal dysfunction. Waiting 12 months from the last dose allows time for the adrenal glands to recover.

Reason for change:
  The text has been updated to ensure consistency with other DSG references to immunosuppression. The see if relevant section has been revised.
Version details:

  WB-DSG Edition 203 Release 71 (02 May 2024)

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