Evaluation of the sterility test for detection of microbial contaminants of allografts

Tissue banks routinely use a sterility test to determine the suitability of processed tissue prior to release. However, many tissue banks also accompany the sterility test with additional types of media to ensure detection of slower-growing or more fastidious organisms that may not be detected in the standard two media/two incubation temperature sterility test. This study was designed to determine if a standard sterility test is capable of detecting the wide variety of organisms that may be isolated from human tissue thereby making the additional plated media unnecessary. More than 100 isolates, representing more than 90 different species were tested. All isolates exhibited growth in at least one of the two standard sterility test media within the 14-day incubation period.