Vox sanguinis
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The BacT/ALERT system for bacterial monitoring of platelet concentrates (PCs) was introduced in the Netherlands in 2001. Samples are cultured for 7 days, and as a result of the short shelf-life of PCs, they are usually released as 'negative to date'. Therefore, some of the PCs have already been transfused at the moment of a positive signal in continued cultures in the BacT/Alert. It is unclear, however, whether these PCs are associated with more transfusion reactions. ⋯ Two of 158 transfusions of PCs released as 'negative to date', but with a confirmed positive BacT/ALERT result, were initially associated with transfusion reactions. However, the imputability of both reactions was low.
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Packed red blood cell transfusion has been associated with increased infection in a variety of critically ill patient populations. We evaluated the microbiology and time course of infection in transfused patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) as no data exist on these parameters. ⋯ Transfused ICU patients have a higher incidence of nosocomial infection and worse outcomes. Transfused patients had a shorter onset of infection. Acinetobacter infection appears to be particularly common among these patients. Further investigation is merited to better elucidate the mechanism for these findings and their therapeutic and clinical implications.