Does a colonoscopy affect blood donation?
Ask the doctor
Q. I want to donate blood because a dear friend needed multiple transfusions. I had a colonoscopy four months ago. The last time I donated blood, I had to state whether I had had an endoscopic exam in the last six months. Is a colonoscopy an endoscopic exam? Can I still give blood? And why was I asked that?
A. Yes, a colonoscopy is an endoscopic exam.
An endoscope is an instrument used to look inside the body, most often to directly visualize a part of the gastrointestinal tract. This can be done either from above (through the mouth) or below (through the anus). Endoscopic exams include:
- colonoscopy (to look at the rectum and entire colon)
- sigmoidoscopy (to look at the rectum and lower third of the colon)
- upper endoscopy (to look at the esophagus, stomach, and upper part of the small intestine)
- bronchoscopy (to look at the airways in the chest and the lungs).
The Red Cross used to ask people who volunteered to donate blood: "Have you had an endoscopic exam within the past six months?" The Red Cross no longer routinely asks this question.
The question was asked because of the extremely rare risk that the hepatitis C virus was accidentally transmitted during the procedure many years ago. Now, stricter sterilization methods and more accurate testing for hepatitis C now make the question unnecessary.
However, if anything worrisome was seen on your colonoscopy you should report it to the staff at the blood donation site.
Image: © AnnaStills/Getty Images
About the Author
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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