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Updated: Jun 4, 2026
Ex Situ Normothermic Machine Perfusion of Donor Livers
Published on: May 26, 2015
Bacterial contamination of organ graft preservation solution and infection after transplantation
M Sauget1, S Verdy, C Slekovec
1Service d'Hygiène Hospitalière, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Besançon, Besançon, France.
Abstract:
Infectious complications represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with organ transplantation. Contamination of preservation solution (PS) can lead to life-threatening complications in the recipients. For a 3-year period, we investigated the bacterial contamination of both PSs and graft fragments, recipient infections, and explored the link between them. In total 137 organs were transplanted, and 131 organ and perfusate cultures out of 426 tested (30.8%) gave a positive bacterial culture, mainly with coagulase-negative staphylococci. Overall, 80 recipients out of 137 (58.4%) had at least 1 infection during the 4-month post-graft surveillance period. Twelve recipients had an infection with the same bacterial species that was recovered in the corresponding graft. However, based on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis typing results, only 1 case was very likely cross-transmitted via the transplantation.
Insights
Bacterial contamination in organ transplantation preservation solutions (PS) is common, but direct transmission to recipients is rare. This study found few infections were definitively linked to contaminated PS or grafts.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Transplant Surgery
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Infectious complications significantly impact organ transplant recipient morbidity and mortality.
- Contamination of preservation solutions (PS) poses a risk for life-threatening infections in transplant recipients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate bacterial contamination in PS and graft fragments.
- To identify recipient infections post-transplantation.
- To determine the link between contamination and recipient infections.
Main Methods:
- Prospective 3-year study of bacterial cultures from PS and graft fragments.
- Monitoring of recipient infections for 4 months post-transplantation.
- Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) for bacterial strain typing.
Main Results:
- 131 out of 426 (30.8%) cultures from organs and perfusates were positive for bacteria, primarily coagulase-negative staphylococci.
- 80 out of 137 (58.4%) recipients developed infections within 4 months.
- Only 1 case of cross-transmission was highly probable based on PFGE typing.
Conclusions:
- While bacterial contamination of PS and grafts is frequent in organ transplantation, direct transmission causing recipient infection is uncommon.
- Routine surveillance and advanced typing methods like PFGE are crucial for understanding transmission dynamics.
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