Fatal Yersinia enterocolitica sepsis after blood transfusion.
A patient with fatal Yersinia enterocolitica sepsis was seen recently in our intensive care unit. The patient had received two units of packed red blood cells during a surgical procedure. Cultures of the donor blood yielded Y enterocolitica, and a whole-organism enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of the donors' sera suggested a recent infection with Y enterocolitica in an asymptomatic donor. Though rare, Y enterocolitica, which can grow at the cold temperatures of refrigerated blood, should be considered as a possible source of sepsis following blood transfusion.
D001782:Blood Donors; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018805:Sepsis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D015009:Yersinia Infections / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D015008:Yersinia enterocolitica / Q000302:isolation & purification