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Screening of platelet concentrates for bacterial contamination: spectrum of bacteria detected, proportionof transfused units, and clinical follow-up

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Abstract

Screening of platelet concentrates (PCs) for bacterial contamination with cultivation methods is carried out as a routine procedure in some countries. The aim is to prevent the transfusion of contaminated PCs. The German Evaluation of Regular Monitoring Study Group conducted a prospective multicenter study on 52,243 PCs to investigate the prevalence of bacteria (BacT/ALERT, bioMerieux). This study describes the detected bacterial spectrum, the proportion of PCs with a positive test result that had been transfused, and the results of the clinical follow-up. One hundred thirteen (67%) of 169 potentially or confirmed positive units had already been transfused at the time of the first positive signal. The transfusion of units contaminated by Staphylococcus aureus, Serratia marcescens, and 73% of the units contaminated with Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus capitis, or Staphylococcus saccharolyticus was prevented. In contrast, 85% of units with Propionibacterium acnes were transfused. A clonal relationship of the isolates from the pooled PCs and from the associated red blood cell concentrates was found in all investigated cases. The follow-up revealed six febrile reactions to culture-positive PCs not classified as transfusion reaction (TRs) by treating physicians. This demonstrates the importance of hemovigilance. Serious septic reactions due to Klebsiella pneumoniae in two units of one apheresis PC that had tested false-negative were reported; one had a fatal outcome. Culture systems reduce the risk of transfusion of contaminated PCs but cannot guarantee sterility. Physicians must be aware of bacterial contamination of PCs as a potential cause of TRs and must report all adverse events.

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Acknowledgments

The study was conducted by the German Evaluation of Regular Monitoring Study (GERMS) Group of the Red Cross Transfusion Services and supported by the Forschungsgemeinschaft of the DRK-Blutspendedienste.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. German Red Cross Blood Service West, Muenster, Germany

    Gabriele Walther-Wenke

  2. German Red Cross Blood Service Baden-Wuerttemberg – Hessia and Ost, Ulm, Germany

    Hubert Schrezenmeier & Britta Höchsmann

  3. German Red Cross Blood Service West, Hagen, Germany

    Robert Deitenbeck

  4. Department of Medical Microbiology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany

    Gabriele Geis

  5. Bavarian Red Cross Blood Service, Munich, Germany

    Jürgen Burkhart & Franz Weinauer

  6. German Red Cross Blood Service Baden-Wuerttemberg – Hessia and Ost, Frankfurt, Germany

    Walid Sireis, Michael Schmidt & Erhard Seifried

  7. German Red Cross Blood Service NSTOB, Oldenburg, Germany

    Wolfgang Gebauer

  8. German Red Cross Blood Service Baden-Wuerttemberg – Hessia and Ost, Dresden, Germany

    Ute-Maja Liebscher

  9. German Red Cross Blood Service NSTOB, Springe, Germany

    Thomas H. Müller

  10. DRK-Blutspendedienst West, Zentrum für Transfusionsmedizin Münster, Sperlichstraße 15, 48151, Münster, Germany

    Gabriele Walther-Wenke

Authors
  1. Gabriele Walther-Wenke
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  2. Hubert Schrezenmeier
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  3. Robert Deitenbeck
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  4. Gabriele Geis
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  5. Jürgen Burkhart
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  6. Britta Höchsmann
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  7. Walid Sireis
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  8. Michael Schmidt
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  9. Erhard Seifried
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  10. Wolfgang Gebauer
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  11. Ute-Maja Liebscher
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  12. Franz Weinauer
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  13. Thomas H. Müller
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gabriele Walther-Wenke.

Additional information

The GERMS Group consists of the following:

Steering committee

G. Walther-Wenke, MD; T.H. Müller, MD, PhD; A. Younis, MD; F. Weinauer, MD

Participating sites

German Red Cross Blood Service:

Breitscheid (DRK-Blutspendedienst West): R. Deitenbeck, MD

Dresden (DRK-Blutspendedienst Baden-Württemberg – Hessen und Ost) U.-M. Liebscher, MD; E. Förstemann, MD

Frankfurt (DRK-Blutspendedienst Baden-Württemberg – Hessen und Ost): M. Schmidt, MD; W. Sireis, MD; E. Seifried, MD

Ulm (DRK-Blutspendedienst Baden-Württemberg – Hessen und Ost): H. Schrezenmeier, MD; B. Höchsmann, MD; M. Wiesneth, MD

Munich (BRK-Blutspendedienst): J. Burkhart, F. Weinauer, MD

Muenster (DRK-Blutspendedienst West): G. Walther-Wenke, MD

Nuernberg (BRK-Blutspendedienst): W. Sänger, PhD

Oldenburg (DRK-Blutspendedienst NSTOB): F. Schunter, MD; W. Gebauer, MD

Springe (DRK-Blutspendedienst NSTOB): U. Bauerfeind, MD; T.H. Müller, MD, PhD

Microbiology reference laboratories:

Bochum: S.G. Gatermann, MD; G. Geis, PhD

Frankfurt: V. Schäfer, MD

Statistics

Bochum: H.J. Trampisch, PhD; T. Holland-Letz

Manuscript writing group

G. Walther-Wenke, H. Schrezenmeier, G. Geis, R. Deitenbeck

Sponsor

Forschungsgemeinschaft der DRK-Blutspendedienste: E. Seifried, MD; President; H. Frenzel, PhD, Vice President

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Walther-Wenke, G., Schrezenmeier, H., Deitenbeck, R. et al. Screening of platelet concentrates for bacterial contamination: spectrum of bacteria detected, proportionof transfused units, and clinical follow-up. Ann Hematol 89, 83–91 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00277-009-0762-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00277-009-0762-2

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