title: Serratia marcescens contamination of feline whole blood in a hospital blood bank.
abstract: During a 7-month period, 29 units of feline whole blood in a hospital blood bank were confirmed, and 2 units were suspected, to be contaminated with Serratia marcescens. An investigation of the outbreak identified S marcescens in a jar of alcohol-soaked cotton balls and in a bag of saline solution used during venipuncture. Fifteen of the contaminated units were administered to 14 cats, and 6 of the 14 developed clinical signs of a transfusion reaction. The most common sign was vomiting; 4 cats died. The report underscores the importance of using aseptic techniques during collection of blood for transfusion and of thoroughly investigating any transfusion reaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, George Jaqua Transfusion Medicine Service, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Hohenhaus
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Drusin
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Garvey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D001771:Blood Banks / Q000592:standards*; D001782:Blood Donors; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000662:veterinary*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002415:Cats / Q000097:blood*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D018962:Phlebotomy / Q000662:veterinary; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016868:Serratia Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012706:Serratia marcescens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D065227:Transfusion Reaction