Bacterial contamination of platelets for transfusion: Recent advances and issues

Bacterial contamination of blood products has emerged as a serious problem in transfusion medicine in the past 20 years and is second only to ABO-mismatch in causing transfusion-associated death. Data from 1985-1999 showed that 11% (77/694) of transfusion-associated fatalities reported to the FDA were caused by bacterially contaminated products leading to sepsis. As platelets are stored at room temperature, and in a large volume of plasma and a bag that allows oxygen diffusion, it is platelet products that are the most frequently implicated in transfusion-associated fatalities due to bacterial contamination.