Kidney donation for people with blood in their urine (hematuria)

Can I donate a kidney if I have blood in my urine?

Maybe. Blood in your urine may be a sign that you have another health problem that can cause long-term kidney disease.

How will I know if blood in my urine will stop me from donating?

1. During your evaluation, your doctor will:

• Ask if you have had blood in your urine or urinary tract infections in the past
• Do a urine test and look at it under a microscope for blood

2. If your doctor sees blood in your urine, they’ll do more tests, such as repeat urine tests and do imaging of your kidneys

3. If your doctor finds another problem is causing blood in your urine, such as a kidney problem, you may not be able to donate

References

1. Hass M Thin glomerular basement membrane nephropathy: incidence in 3,471 consecutive renal biopsies examined by electron microscopy. Arch Path Lab Med 130:699-706, 2006.

2. Carasi C, Van’t Hoff WG, Rees L, et al. Childhood thin GBM disease: review of 22 children with family studies and long-term follow-up. Pediatr Nephrol 20:1098-1105, 2005.

3. Gale DP How benign is hematuria? Using genetics to predict prognosis. Pediatr Nephrol 28:1183-1193, 2013.

4. Vivante A, Afek A, Frenkel-Nir Y, et al. Persistent asymptomatic isolated microscopic hematuria in Israeli adolescents and young adults and risk for end-stage renal disease. JAMA 306:729-736, 2011.