title: Safety control of peripheral blood progenitor cell processing-eight year-survey of microbiological contamination and bag ruptures in a single institution.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recipients of peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) are prone to opportunistic infections and their lives depend upon the availability of PBPC. Centres responsible for PBPC processing are committed to provide patients with products which are as safe as possible. These must be processed under quality assurance requirements.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of PBPC processed in a single centre according to quality assurance premises was carried out to define the rate and the cause of microbiologic contamination and bag ruptures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  940 microbiologic cultures were run on 725 cryopreserved bags. Five bacterial strains were identified in the positive cultures. The rate of bacterial contamination was 1.85% of the patients, 0.34% of the collected bags, and 0.79% of the reinfused bags. Bag ruptures occurred in 1.06% of the thawed bags.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Permanent quality control of peripheral progenitor cell processing is mandatory. Preventive measures such as ex vivo cell manipulation in a clean room facility and the use of a double-bagged technique are highly recommended to prevent bacterial contamination and to rescue progenitor cells in the case of a bag rupture if those cells are necessary for the haematopoietic reconstitution of a patient.
authors.affiliation: Blood Transfusion Service, Ospedale SS Antonio e Biagio, Alessandria, Italy.
authors.forename: Lia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mele
authors.forename: Franco Maria
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Dallavalle
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Verri
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Balza
authors.forename: Bernardino
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Allione
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Salvi
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Levis
authors.forename: Valter
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Caraccio
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borzini
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development; D001793:Blood Preservation; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial / Q000379:methods; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004340:Drug Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000382:microbiology; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D011786:Quality Control