Page 1 of 6 not for citation purposes Bacterial contamination of donor blood in a university hospital Bolarinwa Int J Infect Control 2011, v7:i1 doi: 10.3396/ijic.V7i1.001.11 Rahman A Bolarinwa 1 , Oladipo A Aboderin 2 , Babatunde W Odetoyin 2 , Aramide B. Adegunloye 3 1 Department of Haematology and Immunology, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria 2 Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria 3 Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. International Journal of Infection Control Bacterial contamination of blood and blood components in a tertiary hospital setting in Nigeria ISSN 1996-9783 www.ijic.info doi: 10.3396/ijic.V7i1.004.11 Correspondence Dr. Oladipo A. Aboderin, Senior Lecturer, Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Telephone: +234 803 670 6730 E-mail: aaboderin@oauife.edu.ng, diipo_aboderin@yahoo.com OrIgINAL ArTICLE Abstract Screening donors has practically eliminated viral pathogens in blood for transfusion; however, transfusion-associated bacterial sepsis remains an important health-care concern. Currently, it is the most frequently reported cause of transfusion-related fatality from infection. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and type of bacterial contamination in donor blood and/or blood products, in a semi-urban university teaching hospital in Nigeria. The study was carried out at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria over a fve-month period (May to September 2009). A total of 162 units of screened blood and blood products consisting of 160 (98.7%) refrigerated packed cells/whole blood and two (1.3%) platelet concentrates were randomly sampled following aseptic procedure. Samples were incubated at 37°C for up to 7-days in Brain Heart Infusion broth. Isolates were identifed by standard microbiologic techniques, and their resistance to selected antimicrobial agents was tested by disc diffusion.