Bacterial contamination of platelet products in the Blood Transfusion Center of Isfahan, Iran

Aim: Overall the risk of transfusion transmitted infections has decreased, especially viral infections like HIV and hepatitis B and C. Bacterial contamination of blood and its cellular components, however, remains a common microbiological cause of transfusion associated morbidity and mortality. Platelets pose a special risk given their preservation methods. The incidence of these episodes needs to be assessed and updated on regular basis to accurately manage the risk of transfusion transmitted bacterial infections. Method: 2,000 platelet samples from the Blood Transfusion Center of Isfahan were examined randomly during a 5-month period by bacterial culture and molecular tests. Four platelet samples were found to be contaminated with bacteria, giving a rate of contamination of 500 (0.2%) of tested platelets. Isolated bacteria included one each of Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus haemolyticus. Conclusion: Our study underlines the need for additional safety procedures like bacterial screening and pathogen reduction technology to further decrease the risk of transfusion associated bacterial infections.