Donor cultures reported positive after transplantation: A clinical dilemma

The avoidance of infection in the immunosuppressed transplant recipient is a fundamental goal. Protocols, including bacteriologic surveillance of the donor and the harvested organ have been developed to reduce the risk of disease transmission. When pertinent cultures (eg, blood) are positive, the organ is discarded. However, inadvertent use of contaminant organs continues to occur because culture reports are not always available at the time of transplantation. The frequency of inadvertent use of culture positive grafts might be expected to increase, as with cyclosporine immunosuppression, there is a renewed emphasis on minimizing preservation time. We reviewed the clinical course of patients whose donor cultures were reported to be positive for bacterial growth subsequent to transplantation.