title: Analysis of the effectiveness of Sodium Hypochlorite decontamination of cadaveric human tissues at retrieval.
abstract: Bacterial contamination of tissues retrieved from cadaveric donors is a common feature worldwide, and every tissue bank, albeit using different methods, conducts decontamination to guarantee safe tissues suitable for clinical use. The effectiveness of the methods used to eradicate pathogens differs. In order to reduce the tissue bioburden at retrieval, we have introduced a new method involving rinsing tissues in a sodium hypochlorite solution. To test its effectiveness we analyzed two comparable groups of tissues: Group A: 1881 tissues, all rinsed with isotonic saline solution after retrieval, and Group B: 1968 tissues immersed in an isotonic saline solution containing sodium hypochlorite (final concentration 0.1 %) for different lengths of time and subsequently rinsed with isotonic saline. The rinsing solution of each tissue was then sampled for microbiological cultures in both groups. The resultant overall contamination rate was 40.5 % for Group A and 6.7 % for Group B, with an 82.8 % difference in the reduction of contamination between the two groups. This was especially the case for commensal skin bacteria in musculoskeletal tissue, which accounted for over half the overall contamination. Our data highlighted that decontamination with sodium hypochlorite was helpful in reducing the bacterial bioburden in tissues retrieved from cadaveric donors.
authors.affiliation: Treviso Tissue Bank Foundation, Piazzale Ospedale 1, 31100, Treviso, Italy. apaolin@fbtv-treviso.org.
authors.forename: Adolfo
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4003-8391
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paolin
authors.affiliation: Treviso Tissue Bank Foundation, Piazzale Ospedale 1, 31100, Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: Diletta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Trojan
authors.affiliation: Treviso Tissue Bank Foundation, Piazzale Ospedale 1, 31100, Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carniato
authors.affiliation: Treviso Tissue Bank Foundation, Piazzale Ospedale 1, 31100, Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tasca
authors.affiliation: Treviso Tissue Bank Foundation, Piazzale Ospedale 1, 31100, Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: Ervino
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Massarin
authors.affiliation: Treviso Tissue Bank Foundation, Piazzale Ospedale 1, 31100, Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tugnoli
authors.affiliation: Treviso Tissue Bank Foundation, Piazzale Ospedale 1, 31100, Treviso, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cogliati
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D064591:Allografts / Q000382:microbiology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D002102:Cadaver; D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods*; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013242:Sterilization / Q000379:methods*; D014015:Tissue Banks; D014019:Tissue Donors
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D012973:Sodium Hypochlorite
keywords: Homografts; Human tissues; Retrieval; Sodium hypochlorite; Tissue banking