BACKGROUND: FNAIT occurs in 1 : 1-2000 live births, whereas maternal immunisation against human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I is common. Whether HLA class I antibodies alone can cause FNAIT is debatable.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 260 patient samples were referred between 2007 and 2012. Referrals with maternal HLA class I antibodies and no other cause for the neonatal thrombocytopenia were included for analysis (cases, n = 23). HPA-1a negative mothers were excluded. Control groups were screened positive mothers of healthy neonates (controls, n = 33) and female blood donors (blood donors, n = 19). LABScreen single antigen HLA class I beads was used for antibody analysis. Clinical records were reviewed for cases.
RESULTS: All groups had broad antibody reactivity. Cases had more antibodies with high SFI levels compared with the controls (SFI>9999; medians 26, 6 and 0; P
BACKGROUND: Microbial screening is required for all cord blood units (CBUs). Four gram-positive contaminants were documented to survive cryopreservation poorly and isolation of other contaminants were reported.
METHODS: Forty-eight contaminated CBUs detected with either Staphylococcus epidermidis, Corynebacterium species, Peptostreptococcus or Streptococcus species before cryopreservation were used in this study. CBUs were processed, DMSO-infused and microbial screened before cryopreservation. Post-thaw microbial screening was achieved using 1 and 10 ml inoculants in BACTEC culture bottles. Positive bottles were subjected for microbial identification and results were compared with those from pre-freeze.
RESULTS: A higher rate of microbial contamination was found using the 10 ml inoculant. Screening of 11 CBUs did not detect any contaminants while 30 CBUs screened detected more than one unknown contaminants and majority of contaminants were identified to be gram-negative species.
CONCLUSION: A higher inoculation volume used at post-thaw for microbial screening improves contamination detection but leads to the loss of precious cord blood. Some contaminants did not survive cryopreservation or were not identified due to their low microbial levels. Contrasting contaminants found at post-thaw suggest the improvements made in detection and identification of contaminants over the years.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Blood centres often use the '30 or 60-min rule' for accepting RCC exposed to room temperature (RT) back into inventory. Effective monitoring of these temperature deviations is however lacking.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A Timestrip PLUS® TP153 10°C (TS + 10) TTI was attached to RCC units after preparation of the unit in the blood bank or on issue to the ward, to track the CET > 10°C during laboratory processing and outside the transfusion laboratory.
RESULTS: The mean CET of 153 RCC tracked within the laboratory was 56 min. Sixty-four (41.8%) and 34 (22.2%) of RCC had core temperature (CT) >10°C for more than 30 and 60 min, respectively. Among the 69 RCC that were returned unused, 27 (39.1%), 17 (24.6%) and 5 (7.2%) RCC units had CT >10°C for more than 30, 60 and 120 min respectively.
CONCLUSION: A large proportion of RCC have CT >10°C exceeding 30 min during handling within the transfusion laboratory, as well as when RCC are returned unused from transfusion locations. Corrective measures should be implemented to better manage the cold chain to avoid undesirable consequences to blood transfusion. A temperature sensitive device that can also indicate CET can be employed to objectively monitor the period that RCC remained at a CT that exceeds 10°C.