BACTERIAL-CONTAMINATION RATES FOLLOWING PROCESSING OF BONE-MARROW ANDPERIPHERAL-BLOOD PROGENITOR-CELL PREPARATIONS

Background: The performance of cultures to assess possible bacterial c ontamination of bone marrow and peripheral blood progenitor cell prepa rations is required by the standards of the American Association of Bl ood Banks. Study Design and Methods: Consecutive (n = 893) bone marrow and peripheral blood progenitor cell preparations were cultured for a ssessment of possible contamination by microorganisms. Results: Consec utive bone marrow and peripheral blood progenitor cell preparations (n = 893) were cultured; the overall positive rate detected was 2.5 perc ent (22/893). The isolates predominantly were skin contaminants (gram- positive cocci) and so-called water-borne organisms (gram-negative rod s). The 6.0-percent rate of positivity in 317 bone marrow preparations was higher than the 0.5-percent rate in 576 peripheral blood progenit or cell preparations (p<10(-6)). Culture-positive preparations were tr ansfused to 16 patients at this institution; however, none of these tr ansfusions led to documented sepsis with the contaminating organism. C onclusion: The culture method described here complies with the standar ds of the American Association of Blood Banks. Contamination can be de tected in both bone marrow and peripheral blood progenitor cell prepar ations. When contaminated preparations are transfused, there are few c omplications that can be attributed to the contamination.