Monitoring bacterial contamination of blood components in Germany: effect of contamination reduction measures

Background and Objectives National guidelines for monitoring bacterial contamination of blood components were introduced in Germany in 1997. Between 1998 and 2002, numerous measures were implemented to prevent bacterial contamination. This study investigates their impact on contamination rates. Materials and Methods Culture-based testing for bacterial detection on a random sample of blood components is part of routine quality control in German blood establishments. Using standardized questionnaires, data from the production periods 1998, 2001 and 2005/2006 were collected and analysed. Results The bacterial contamination rate of RBCs was reduced from 0·157% in 1998 to 0·029% in 2005/2006 (P