Screening recipients of increased risk donor organs: A multicenter retrospective study

Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network policy requires post-transplant screening of recipients of organs from donors at increased risk for transmission of HIV, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus. Available data suggest that follow-up testing of recipients is not routinely conducted. Data on increased risk donors and recipients of their organs from 2008 to 2012 were retrospectively collected from 6 transplant centers after IRB approval. Descriptive statistics were performed. About 363 (60%) recipients were screened for transmission of HIV, HBV, and/or HCV at some time point; 257 (70.8%) within 90 days of transplant. The type of test used to screen for infection was variable with many recipients (25%-43%) screened with serology alone. Our results reveal that post-transplant screening for HIV, HBV, and HCV in recipients of increased risk donor organs did not universally occur and testing methods were variable.