BD launches platelet quality control media to prevent sepsis in platelet transfusion patients

BD today announced the global availability of BD BACTEC platelet quality control media, which allows microbiology laboratories, blood banks and transfusion services to identify contaminated platelet units. Platelets are associated with a higher risk of sepsis and related fatality than any other transfusable blood component.

The World Health Organization (WHO), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) have introduced guidelines and protocols for the detection of bacterial contamination in platelet donations, helping to reduce septic transfusion reactions and related fatalities by an estimated 50 to 70 percent.

"The availability of the BD BACTEC platelet quality control media allows clinicians the opportunity to identify potentially contaminated platelet donations by using a culture-based methodology, helping to reduce the risk of sepsis," said Gerald Denys, Ph.D., senior research professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, in a press release statement.

BD BACTEC platelet quality control media is part of a comprehensive solution leveraging the automated BD BACTEC FX technology and BD Synapsys microbiology informatics solution to help laboratories meet culture-based platelet testing requirements. The recent FDA 510(k) clearance of BD BACTEC platelet quality control media adheres to FDA guidelines for culture-based methods and meets requirements of the CE-IVD directive. The product can be used for quality control testing of leukocyte reduced apheresis platelet (LRAP) units, both leukocyte reduced single and a pool of up to six units of leukocyte reduced whole blood platelet concentrates (LRWBPC).