Nicolas Germain1, Anne-Sophie Hatzfeld2, Louise Pasquesoone3, Pierre-Marie Danze2, Pierre Guerreschi3, Boualem Sendid4, Olivier Gaillot5, Philippe Marchetti6. 1. CHU Lille, Lille Tissue Bank, Biology Pathology Center, F-59000 Lille, France; Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Recherche contre le Cancer de Lille, UMR9020 - UMR-S 1277 - Canther - Cancer Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, F-59000 Lille, France. 2. CHU Lille, Lille Tissue Bank, Biology Pathology Center, F-59000 Lille, France. 3. CHU Lille, Department of Plastic Surgery and Burn Care Unit, F-59000 Lille, France. 4. CHU Lille, Department of Mycology and Parasitology, Université Lille, LIRIC - Inserm UMR 995- Team 2, F-59000 Lille, Lille, France. 5. CHU Lille, Department of Bacteriology, CNRS, INSERM, CHU Lille, U1019-UMR 8204, Center for Infection and Immunity, F-59000 Lille, Lille, France. 6. CHU Lille, Lille Tissue Bank, Biology Pathology Center, F-59000 Lille, France; Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Recherche contre le Cancer de Lille, UMR9020 - UMR-S 1277 - Canther - Cancer Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, F-59000 Lille, France. Electronic address: Philippe.marchetti@chru-lille.fr.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Microbial contamination of human skin allografts is a frequent cause of allograft discard. Our purpose was to evaluate the discard rate of skin bank contaminated allografts and specific procedures used to reduce allograft contamination without affecting safety. METHODS: We conducted at the Lille Tissue Bank a retrospective study of all deceased donors (n = 104) harvested from January 2018 to December 2018. Skin procurement was split into 3 zones: the back of the body and the two legs that were processed separately. It represented 433 cryopreserved skin allograft pouches of approximatively 500 cm² each. Donors were almost equally split between brain-dead (53%, 55/104) and cadaveric (47%, 49/104) donors. RESULTS: Out of all donors, 42 (40.5%) had at least one sampling zone with a positive microbiological test resulting in 106 (24%) contaminated skin pouches. The contamination rate did not vary according to the harvested zone or type of donor. Traumatic deaths showed significantly less contamination rates than other death types (p < 0.05). Contamination rate decreased with time spent in the antibiotic solution. The risk of having contaminated allografts was five-fold higher when the skin spent less than 96 h in the antibiotic cocktail (p < 0.05). According to our validation protocol, most donors (32/42, 76%) had skin allografts contaminated with bacteria (mainly Staphylococcus spp) compatible with clinical use. No recipient infection was recorded as a result of skin graft contaminated with saprophytic or non-pathogenic germs. By harvesting 3 separate zones per donor, the total surface area for clinical use increased by 53% for contaminated donors. Overall, the proportion of contamination-related discarded allografts was 3.2% (14/433 of pouches). CONCLUSION: Few simple pragmatic measures (including skin incubation in the antibiotic bath for at least 96 h at 4 °C, splitting the skin harvesting areas to minimize the risk of cross-infection and clinical use of allografts contaminated with saprophytic and non-pathogenic germs) can reduce the discard rate of contaminated allografts without affecting clinical safety.
BACKGROUND: Microbial contamination of human skin allografts is a frequent cause of allograft discard. Our purpose was to evaluate the discard rate of skin bank contaminated allografts and specific procedures used to reduce allograft contamination without affecting safety. METHODS: We conducted at the Lille Tissue Bank a retrospective study of all deceased donors (n = 104) harvested from January 2018 to December 2018. Skin procurement was split into 3 zones: the back of the body and the two legs that were processed separately. It represented 433 cryopreserved skin allograft pouches of approximatively 500 cm² each. Donors were almost equally split between brain-dead (53%, 55/104) and cadaveric (47%, 49/104) donors. RESULTS: Out of all donors, 42 (40.5%) had at least one sampling zone with a positive microbiological test resulting in 106 (24%) contaminated skin pouches. The contamination rate did not vary according to the harvested zone or type of donor. Traumatic deaths showed significantly less contamination rates than other death types (p < 0.05). Contamination rate decreased with time spent in the antibiotic solution. The risk of having contaminated allografts was five-fold higher when the skin spent less than 96 h in the antibiotic cocktail (p < 0.05). According to our validation protocol, most donors (32/42, 76%) had skin allografts contaminated with bacteria (mainly Staphylococcus spp) compatible with clinical use. No recipient infection was recorded as a result of skin graft contaminated with saprophytic or non-pathogenic germs. By harvesting 3 separate zones per donor, the total surface area for clinical use increased by 53% for contaminated donors. Overall, the proportion of contamination-related discarded allografts was 3.2% (14/433 of pouches). CONCLUSION: Few simple pragmatic measures (including skin incubation in the antibiotic bath for at least 96 h at 4 °C, splitting the skin harvesting areas to minimize the risk of cross-infection and clinical use of allografts contaminated with saprophytic and non-pathogenic germs) can reduce the discard rate of contaminated allografts without affecting clinical safety.