Bacterial Contamination of Allografts (Oral Presentation)
*Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria, Victorian Institute of
Forensic Medicine
**Department of Microbiology & Infectious Diseases,
a. Objective. The objective of this study is to
report the experience of the Donor Tissue Bank of
b. Introduction. The isolation of organisms from
allografts and their significance has not been widely
explored. However, the interpretation of results of microbiological culture of allografts is a major factor in determining the suitability
of tissue for implantation.
c. Materials and methods. Routine specimens for
bacterial culture were collected from all allografts
at retrieval and processing. The results of all quality control samples for
bacterial culture, taken over a 12 month period, were extracted and analysed.
d. Results. It was found that 15.7% of skin,
15.1% of heart valves and 5.8% of musculoskeletal samples had positive culture
results. The number and types of organisms isolated varied. The most commonly
isolated organisms were Staphylococcus species.
e. Discussion. Contamination of allografts can result in infections with potential severe
adverse outcomes for recipients. The present study indicates that the frequency
and spectrum of organisms isolated from tissue retrieved from cadaveric donors varies with tissue type.
f. Conclusion. Allograft tissue is not
infrequently contaminated with microorganisms. The number of specimens
returning positive cultures as well as the types of organisms isolated will
have a bearing on the suitability of the tissue for implantation.