Antimicrobial activity in cord blood units: occurrence and levels of antibiotics

Abstract

Approximately one-third of CB products contain significant amounts of plasma with residual antibiotics, which can affect the survival and growth of bacterial contaminants when performing the sterility test and potentially lead to false-negative results. Additional work is required to better understand whether residual antibiotics in CB affect penicillin-allergic patients.

Optimization of cord blood unit sterility testing: impact of dilution, analysis delay, and inhibitory substances

“…In an article published in TRANSFUSION , Akel and colleagues estimated that more than 30% of CB products collected in the United States contain residual antibiotics. Cayer and coworkers also reported the presence of inhibitory substances in 20 of 60 (33%) tested CB plasmas . Herein, we have found that bacterial growth inhibitors present in CB appear to significantly affect microbial survival and detection.…”

“…[21][22][23] The potential influence of antimicrobials in samples used for CB microbial testing has been observed. 7,24 These substances might influence sterility testing, because they affect the survival of contaminating bacteria in tested samples, leading to false-negative results.…”

“…The presence of antimicrobial characteristics in CB plasma was assessed using the disk diffusion assay, as described by Cayer as well as others . For the present work, 60 iCB samples and 60 niCB samples were used.…”

Development of a proof of principle for universal neutralization of antibiotics in cord blood by‐products used for sterility testing

“…During the validation of this process, lack of bacterial growth was noticed for certain species and an internal investigation revealed this was due to the fact that the donors were under antibiotic treatment at the time of CB collection. It has been reported that approximately 33% of CB donated in Canada is obtained during cesarean section deliveries, with donors undergoing prophylactic antibiotic therapy . The most commonly used antibiotics include β‐lactams such as penicillin and aminoglycosides such as gentamicin .…”

“…It has been reported that approximately 33% of CB donated in Canada is obtained during cesarean section deliveries, with donors undergoing prophylactic antibiotic therapy . The most commonly used antibiotics include β‐lactams such as penicillin and aminoglycosides such as gentamicin . ‐ Neutralization of antimicrobials in CB units is recommended for an optimal sterility testing process, a practice followed by several CB banks, including CB banks at Héma‐Québec and Australia, and the St Louis Cord Blood Bank & Cellular Therapy Laboratory .…”