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# Skin disease - Whole blood and components

## Essential information

Includes

  Fish pedicure

Obligatory

  See: is there a specific entry for the treatment and/or condition you are concerned about

  Must not donate if:

  1. The donor has a condition that is infected or infectious (e.g. scabies).
  2. History of malignancy.
  3. The venepuncture site is affected.
  4. Required application of steroid, tacrolimus (Protopic®) or pimecrolimus (Elidel®) creams over large areas for periods of more than 3 weeks in the last 6 months.
  5. Ever been treated with etretinate (Tigason®).
  6. Less than 36 months from the last dose of acitretin (Neotigason®).
  7. Less than 4 weeks from the last does of isotretinoin (Roaccutane®) or Alitretinoin (Toctino®).
  8. Has any current open skin wounds or infection.
Discretionary
  1. If occasional use of steroid, tacrolimus (Protopic®) or pimecrolimus (Elidel®) or other creams over small areas of skin and none of the above apply, accept.
  2. If chronic superficial fungal infection (e.g. ringworm, athlete's foot, chronic fungal nail infection or tinea) on local therapy only or has been in contact with an infected individual, accept.
  3. If in contact with scabies but not obviously infected, accept.
  4. If malignancy was a basal cell carcinoma (rodent ulcer) and treatment is completed and all wounds healed, accept.
  5. If an epidermoid (sebaceous) cyst is uninfected, accept.
  6. If no further investigation or treatment is required for a skin-associated dermoid cyst, accept.
  7. For donors with Lichen Sclerosus requiring treatment other than topical steroid therapy only, excluding Etretinate (Tigason®):
     If more than 24 months from completing treatment, have no areas of open wound or infection, have no history of associated malignancy and symptoms are controlled with or without intermittent use of topical steroid therapy only, accept.

## Supporting information

See if relevant
  - Acne
  - Anaemia
  - Autoimmune disease
  - Dermatitis
  - Herpes simplex
  - Immunodeficiency
  - Infection, general
  - Malignancy
  - Neurosurgery
  - Psoriasis
  - Steroid therapy
  - Surgery
  - Thrush
  - Thyroid disease
  - Wounds, mouth and skin ulcers
Additional information

  A donor who has been in contact with scabies but has no symptoms (e.g. itching) does not pose a risk to other donors or staff.

  Damaged skin can increase the risk of infection contaminating a donation. For this reason, a venepuncture should not be performed through an area of affected skin.

  Many malignancies spread through the blood stream. It is therefore considered safer not to accept donations of blood from people who have been diagnosed with malignancy. Treated basal cell carcinoma is an exception to this as it is not spread through the blood stream.

  Dermoid cysts of the skin are benign growths which usually appear at birth. They are generally harmless but may be surgically removed if their location or size is problematic for an affected individual. Dermoid cysts occurring in other parts of the body (e.g. intracranial, spinal, ovarian) should be assessed against the Surgery and Neurosurgery entries, as appropriate.

  Initial treatment of lichen sclerosus is through specialist care with potent steroid therapies.

  Treatment can also be with methotrexate and retinoids such as etretinate (Tigason®) or acitretin (Neotigason®). If taken systemically, these can cause birth defects for babies exposed to them before birth. It is important to allow time for the drug to be cleared from the blood of a donor. Some drugs take longer to be cleared than others.

  Under normal circumstances, the use of topical treatment with steroid, tacrolimus and pimecrolimus will not result in blood levels which cause suppression of the adrenal system or immune response. Side effects are more likely if there is a skin barrier defect or high doses are used over large areas for extended periods. 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.

Reason for change:
  A discretionary acceptance has been added for Epidermoid Cysts and for skin-associated Dermoid Cysts.
Version details:

  WB-DSG Edition 203 Release 78 (28 August 2025)

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