Bacterial contamination of platelets and septic transfusions: review of the literature and discussion on recent patents about biofilm treatment.
In spite of the improvements in transfusion safety occurred in the last decades, platelet septic transfusions still represent a cause for concern. Microbial screening of blood products cannot ensure transfusion sterility, so that pathogen inactivation methods and a timely management of infectious events actually play the most relevant role. Biofilm production has been associated to several human illnesses; also, it promotes bacterial adherence to platelet bags and colonization of recipient's catheter after transfusion. Therefore, facing biofilm communities is required to reduce the contamination risk and the occurrence of post-infusion events. In this context, the use of tigecycline as a wide-spectrum antibiofilm drug is discussed, along with recent patents about biofilm treatment by quorum-sensing blockers, bacteriophage-based therapy and antibiofilm oral compounds.
Savini
Vincenzo
V
Department of Transfusion Medicine, Spirito Santo Hospital, Pescara, Italy. vincsavi@yahoo.it
Catavitello
Chiara
C
Astolfi
Daniela
D
Balbinot
Andrea
A
Masciarelli
Gioviana
G
Pompilio
Arianna
A
Quaglietta
Anna M
AM
Accorsi
Patrizia
P
Di Bonaventura
Giovanni
G
D'Amario
Claudio
C
D'Antonio
Domenico
D
Iacone
Antonio
A
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D010330:Patents as Topic; D017713:Platelet Transfusion / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods / Q000401:mortality; D018805:Sepsis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents