Growth and survival of Serratia marcescens under aerobic and anaerobic conditions in the presence of materials from blood bags.

Several patients receiving blood transfusions during the summer of 1991 developed bacteremia after the transfusion. In all cases, the infection was caused by Serratia marcescens. The same strain of Serratia marcescens was isolated from the patients and from the outer surface of unfilled blood bags. The transport containers for the blood bags were made anoxic by using a catalyst in order to prevent microbial growth. The survival and growth of S. marcescens K202, which was isolated from the blood bags, was studied at different oxygen concentrations in deionized water containing materials derived from the blood bags. The rate of survival and growth of S. marcescens was highest under anaerobic conditions, in which growth occurred with all materials and even in deionized water alone. In contrast, S. marcescens did not survive in control cultures under semi-anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Growth was observed, however, under both aerobic and semi-anaerobic conditions in the presence of each of the tested blood bag materials. These findings indicate that the conditions in the transport containers for the blood bags were favorable for the survival and growth of S. marcescens.