EFFECT OF PRESTORAGE WHITE CELL-REDUCTION ON BACTERIAL-GROWTH IN PLATELET CONCENTRATES

Platelet concentrates stored with and without autologous white cells w ere produced from units of whole blood that had been purposefully cont aminated with bacteria immediately after phlebotomy. The blood was ino culated with one of five species of bacterium at either 10 or 50 colon y-forming units per mL. The growth of the organisms was quantified thr oughout the conventional 5-day, 22-degrees-C storage period of the pla telet concentrates. One species, Klebsiella pneumoniae, failed to grow in any of the components. The remaining species, Staphylococcus epide rmidis, S. aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Salmonella enteritidis, achieved log growth after 1 day of storage and reached a relative maxi mum concentration by Day 3. Although the concentration of bacteria imm ediately after inoculation was lower in the units reduced in white cel ls by filtration, no significant differences were observed thereafter. Data from this in vitro study support the concept that prestorage whi te cell reduction of platelet concentrates should not increase the lik elihood of transfusion-induced septicemia.