Testing Deceased Tissue and Organ Donors for SARS-CoV-2 PCR
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Carrying out SARS-CoV-2 PCR on blood samples from potential deceased tissue and organ donors once death is confirmed.
IRAS ID
324184
Contact name
Sharon Zahra
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Patients who die in hospital are routinely referred for the potential of tissue and/or organ donation. For donation to be progressed safely such patients are routinely tested for COVID-19 on an upper respiratory swab. At the present time if such patients are unexpectedly identified as being SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive then tissue donation is not progressed; organ donation may be progressed depending on the full clinical picture. It would help to understand whether such patients tend to have a coexistant SARS-CoV-2 viraemia by testing a blood sample for SARS-CoV-2 PCR as this impacts whether tissue/organ donation could be done safely from similar patients. For this to be achieved the families of such patients who have been referred for the potential of tissue and/or organ donation but who are unexpectedly identified as being SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive on an upper respiratory swab test would be asked whether a blood sample taken from the patient could be tested for SARS-CoV-2 PCR. Such blood samples are routinely taken in support of tissue and/or organ donation with the patient's family providing consent for such testing as part of the process. In such cases tissue donation won't be progressed (organ donation is sometimes progressed depending on the details) - when approaching the family to explain this i.e. that the fact that the patient is unexpectedly identified as SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive on upper respiratory samples means that tissue donation cannot be progressed (although some organ donation may still be progressed depending on the clinical picture) they would then be asked whether they would be willing to provide consent for the blood sample taken from the patient to be tested for SARS-CoV-2 PCR to allow us to develop knowledge about the likelihood of a viraemia in such patients which would impact on the safety of tissue and organ donation.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 2
REC reference
23/NS/0006
Date of REC Opinion
16 Feb 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion