Bacterial contamination rates following processing of bone marrow and peripheral blood progenitor cell preparations.
BACKGROUND
The performance of cultures to assess possible bacterial contamination of bone marrow and peripheral blood progenitor cell preparations is required by the standards of the American Association of Blood Banks.


METHODS
Consecutive (n = 893) bone marrow and peripheral blood progenitor cell preparations were cultured for assessment of possible contamination by microorganisms.


RESULTS
Consecutive bone marrow and peripheral blood progenitor cell preparations (n = 893) were cultured; the overall positive rate detected was 2.5 percent (22/893). The isolates predominantly were skin contaminants (gram-positive cocci) and so-called water-borne organisms (gram-negative rods). The 6.0-percent rate of positivity in 317 bone marrow preparations was higher than the 0.5-percent rate in 576 peripheral blood progenitor cell preparations (p < 10(-6)). Culture-positive preparations were transfused to 16 patients at this institution; however, none of these transfusions led to documented sepsis with the contaminating organism.


CONCLUSIONS
The culture method described here complies with the standards of the American Association of Blood Banks. Contamination can be detected in both bone marrow and peripheral blood progenitor cell preparations. When contaminated preparations are transfused, there are few complications that can be attributed to the contamination.
Padley
D
D
Department of Pathology, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, USA.
Koontz
F
F
Trigg
M E
ME
Gingrich
R
R
Strauss
R G
RG
D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000592:standards*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000382:microbiology*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans