Tests for all potential donors
Blood Pressure Testing
You will be asked to have at least 3 blood pressure readings done by a medical professional.
You may also be asked to do 24 hour blood pressure monitoring. This test makes sure that you don’t have high blood pressure, which can damage the kidneys. During the day, you’ll wear a blood pressure cuff all day while you do your usual tasks. You’ll have to write down what you do during the 24 hours.
Blood Typing
Knowing your blood type (group) is an important early step to match a donor and recipient.
What blood groups can be matched (are compatible)?
There are 4 different blood groups: O, A, B, and AB. If the donor and recipient have different blood groups, living donation may not be possible. The recipient’s blood group could have antibodies against the donor’s blood group. This will make the recipient’s body reject the kidney. As mentioned earlier, Kidney Paired Donation is a possibility.
Another way to group blood type is by the “Rh factor”. These don’t have to be the same for someone to be able to donate. The table below shows the donor and recipient blood groups that can be matched:
|
Donor’s blood group |
Recipient’s blood group |
| O |
O, A, B, or AB |
| A |
A or AB |
| B |
B or AB |
| AB |
AB |
Blood Tests
Some blood tests look at your general health; others show how well your kidneys are working. Your blood is tested for:
- viruses or diseases that could be given to the recipient from your kidney
- HIV virus (which causes AIDS)
- hepatitis B
- hepatitis C
- syphilis
More specific blood tests for viruses and other infections may be needed if you:
- were born outside Canada
- travelled to certain countries
- lived outside Canada
- have had some types of high-risk jobs.
Note: This may include screening for tuberculosis (TB).
