Routine use of a rapid test to detect bacteria at the time of issue for nonleukoreduced, whole blood―derived platelets

BACKGROUND: The Pan Genera detection (PGD) test is used to screen platelet (PLT) products for bacterial contamination. We report the experience of using the PGD test on whole blood―derived PLTs (WBPs) at two large centralized transfusion services (CTS). STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Records of PGD test results were retrospectively reviewed. The PGD test was performed on individual WBP units or pools of WBPs ranging in size from 2 to 6 units at the time of issue. Bacterial culture was performed on PLT products with positive PGD tests, and at one CTS, the available cocomponents. RESULTS: A total of 70,561 WBP pools were screened with the PGD test. There were seven true-positive PGD tests and 242 false-positive tests (positive predictive value of PGD test, 2.81%). The overall contamination rate was 99 per 106 WBP pools (1:10,080; 95% confidence interval [CI], 40-204), and the false-positive rate was 3430 per 106 WBP pools (1:292; 95% CI, 3011-3890). All seven bacterial isolates were Gram positive. The median age of the individual WBP units in the seven contaminated pools was 5 days (range, 3-5 days) compared to 4 days (range, 1-5 days) in the false-positive pools (p = 0.0012). The same bacteria isolated from a positive PLT pool also grew in one red blood cell cocomponent. CONCLUSION: After testing more than 70,000 WBP pools at two large CTSs, the rate of contaminated WBP pools detected by the PGD test was 99 per 106 pools (1:10,080).