Sterility and storage period of placental blood from neonates delivered by caesarian section.

ABSTRACT

A prospective study was conducted to evaluate the storage period and sterility of placental blood from neonates delivered by caesarian section. Following caesarian section of the infant and placenta, the placenta was immediately placed in a sterile tray and the umbilical cord near the clamps was rinsed with sterile saline and cut 2 cm below the clamps with sterile scissors. An Fr 8 feeding tube was inserted into an umbilical vein and 43 ml of placental blood was drawn into a 50 ml disposable syringe which contained 7 mls of CPDA-1 solution. Five-ml aliquots of blood retrieved from the placenta were inoculated into aerobic and anaerobic blood culture bottles. Sixty-four specimens of CODA-1 anticoagulant blood were retrieved from the placenta and evaluated for biochemical changes to determine the recommended storage period. The mean plasma potassium concentrations were 4.9 + 1.1, 9.1 + 2.6, 13.1 + 2.0 mM/l at 0, 48 and 72 hours after collection, respectively. The 72-hour potassium concentration was higher than the value in adult whole blood stored for 7 days, which is considered fresh blood and recommended for transfusing newborn infants. The 107 paired aerobic/anaerobic culture specimens showed an overall contamination rate of 13%. These findungs suggest that placental blood in CPDA-1 can be stored for 48 hours for autologous transfusion and that rinsing the umbilical cord in sterile saline cannot prevent bacterial contamination in the retrieved placental blood.