Publications by authors named "S Ramirez-Arcos"
Background And Objectives: Transfusion-associated bacterial sepsis poses a significant risk to patient safety. This study aimed to determine the rate of bacterial contamination of whole blood (WB) collected at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH) as a quality control and quality assurance activity.
Materials And Methods: One-hundred and three WB units collected between January and April of 2018 were screened for bacterial contamination.
has been involved in transfusion-transmitted fatalities associated with platelet concentrates (PCs) due to its heightened pathogenicity enhanced by genome-encoded virulence and antibiotic resistance genes. This may be facilitated by mobile genetic elements (MGEs) that can cause rearrangements. Several factors contribute to virulence, including the type VII secretion system (T7SS), composed of six core genes conserved across strains.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStaphylococcus aureus is a well-documented bacterial contaminant in platelet concentrates (PCs), a blood component used to treat patients with platelet deficiencies. This bacterium can evade routine PC culture screening and cause septic transfusion reactions. Here, we investigated the gene expression modulation within the PC niche versus trypticase soy media (TSB) of S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Cutibacterium acnes, a common anaerobic platelet concentrate (PC) contaminant, has been associated with rare mild adverse transfusion reactions and is often considered a harmless commensal. Notably, C. acnes can cause chronic infections and has been shown to induce the release of proinflammatory cytokines by immune cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study focuses on improving blood safety measures by validating Transfusion-Relevant Bacterial Reference Strains (TRBRS) in a lyophilised format, making them easier to use compared to current methods requiring ultra-cold storage.
- Two bacterial strains, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus, were lyophilised and sent to 11 labs globally to test their effectiveness in identifying and monitoring growth in platelet concentrates.
- Results showed that the lyophilised TRBRS maintained growth properties and stability, allowing for straightforward addition to platelet concentrates, and demonstrated effectiveness across all participating labs, indicating potential for broader application in blood safety quality control.