Influence of a cell salvage washing system and leukocyte reduction filtration on bacterial contamination of canine whole blood ex vivo.

Objective: To determine the ability of cell salvage washing and leukoreduction filtration to remove bacterial contamination from canine whole blood.

Study Design: Ex vivo nested cohort study.

Sample Population: Commercially purchased fresh canine whole blood (n = 33 units).

Methods: Commercially obtained canine whole blood was inoculated with known concentrations of one of three species of bacteria, Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (quality control strain; Texas A&M University), or Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853). Negative controls were inoculated with sterile saline. The inoculated blood was processed through a cell salvage system and filtered through a series of two leukocyte reduction filters. Samples were aseptically collected at five points during processing (inoculum, prewash, postwash, post-first filtration, and post-second filtration) for bacterial enumeration.

Results: Bacterial concentrations were reduced by 85.2%, 91.5%, and 93.9% for E coli, S pseudintermedius, and P aeruginosa, respectively, after washing (P < .0001), and bacterial concentrations were reduced by 99.9%, 100%, and 100%, respectively, after the first filtration (P < .0001). After the second filtration, none of the three species of bacteria could be isolated (100% reduction). No bacterial growth was obtained from negative controls throughout the study. The type of bacteria (P = .29) did not allow prediction of bacterial reduction.

Conclusion: Cell salvage washing combined with leukoreduction filtration eliminated bacterial contamination of whole dog blood (P < .0001).

Clinical Significance: Cell salvage washing and leukoreduction filtration could be applied to intraoperative autotransfusion in clinical animals, especially those treated for trauma or hemorrhage with concurrent bacterial contamination.