Evaluation of BacT/ALERT plastic culture bottles for use in testing pooled whole blood-derived leukoreduced platelet-rich plasma platelets with a single contaminated unit

• Published in: Transfusion (Philadelphia, Pa.) Pa.), 2005-09, Vol.45 (9), p.1512-1517
• Main Authors: Brecher, M.E., Hay, S.N., Rose, A.D., Rothenberg, S.J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Blood coagulation. Blood cells; Blood Platelets - microbiology; Blood Preservation; Blood-Borne Pathogens - isolation & purification; Blood. Blood and plasma substitutes. Blood products. Blood cells. Blood typing. Plasmapheresis. Apheresis; Emergency and intensive cardiocirculatory care. Cardiogenic shock. Coronary intensive care; Enterobacteriaceae - isolation & purification; Enterobacteriaceae Infections - prevention & control; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gram-Positive Bacteria - isolation & purification; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections - prevention & control; Humans; Intensive care medicine; Leukocyte Reduction Procedures; Medical sciences; Microbiological Techniques - instrumentation; Molecular and cellular biology; Plastics; Platelet; Platelet Transfusion; Transfusions. Complications. Transfusion reactions. Cell and gene therapy
• ISSN: 0041-1132; 1537-2995
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2005.00563.x

BACKGROUND: In certain countries, whole blood–derived platelet (PLT)‐rich plasma PLTs can only be pooled within 4 hours of transfusion. One prerequisite for prestorage pooling is the ability to detect low levels of bacteria from a single unit (approx. 10 colony‐forming units [CFUs]/mL) once pooled (10/6 approx. 2 CFUs/mL). This study evaluated the BacT/ALERT (bioMérieux) for detection of bacteria in 1 unit of a 6‐unit pool. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Serratia marcescens, Streptococcus viridans, and Propionibacterium acnes were inoculated into single PLT units (target, 10 and 100 CFUs/mL; mean recovered, 5 and 92 CFUs/mL) and then pooled with 5 sterile units. Four milliliters was inoculated into both plastic aerobic and anaerobic bottles, and 0.5 mL was plated (10 sets). RESULTS: All cases were detected when the single unit had at least 6 CFUs per mL. With B. cereus (≤2 CFUs/mL), all bottles were reactive. With K. pneumoniae and S. viridans (≤3 CFUs/mL), all samples were detected with a two‐bottle set, but not all bottles were reactive. With S. marcescens (