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The Spanish Red Cross Transfusion Center in Madrid produces approximately 6,000 units of platelets and 10,000 units of plasma for transfusion each year. Dr. Emma Castro, Medical Director and CEO of the center, is committed to ensuring the safety of the blood products they supply to local clinics and hospitals. The INTERCEPT Blood System™ has become an important tool in achieving this goal.
INTERCEPT is the first pathogen inactivation method to effectively eliminate bacteria in platelet concentrates. When the INTERCEPT Blood System first became available in Spain, Dr. Castro was quick to adopt the pathogen inactivation technology to increase the safety of platelet transfusions. Since then, her center has not recorded a single transfusion complication resulting from a contaminated platelet unit.
Over the past several years, inactivation of pathogens in blood products has rapidly emerged as a critical technological advance for combating bacterial contamination. With the risk of transmitting certain viruses being higher in Spain than in other regions, there are also unique local concerns regarding transfusion-transmitted infections. INTERCEPT’s broad spectrum of inactivation is effective against known pathogens, as well as providing protection against emerging agents that have not yet been detected.
Improving The Reliability and Safety of Blood Components
Inactivating pathogens in blood components has been a key objective for medical and scientific professionals for many years. This is due to the recognition that infectious agents will continue to emerge and impact the safety of blood transfusions. Although many measures are in place to ensure the safety of blood components, the transmission of infectious diseases through transfusions remains a possibility.
Dr. Castro, Medical Director and CEO of the Transfusion Center of the Spanish Red Cross in Madrid, is deeply concerned with transfusion safety and carefully follows developments in the field. “When INTERCEPT became available five years ago, I knew that it was the solution that I had been waiting for.” she explains.
Techniques to improve the safety of blood products are continually evolving. Each results in an added level of security. However, the recent introduction of bacterial culture detection for platelet products has been only partially effective at preventing patient exposure to bacterial contamination. Studies indicate that approximately 50% of the platelets showing a positive culture result will have already been transfused by the time culture results are available.
INTERCEPT works by preventing the replication of pathogenic agents. It therefore provides a more reliable choice than testing. “Bacterial contamination in platelet components is a frequent problem. It has been shown about one of every 2,500 platelet units contain bacteria. An inactivation system may put an end to this risk definitively and make blood transfusions extremely safe. With INTERCEPT, we have eliminated this risk of bacterial contamination”, said Dr. Castro. The Transfusion Center also uses INTERCEPT to treat plasma, providing their clinics and hospitals with both types of pathogen inactivated components.
INTERCEPT: Enhanced Safety, Extended Shelf Life and Greater Operational Efficiency
The danger of a contaminated transfusion is significant. Introducing bacteria or other pathogens into the patient’s circulatory system can have serious consequences, the severity of which is dependent on the pathogenicity and the quantity of the infectious agent. Also, many transfusion recipients have compromised immune systems, and are at heightened risk of developing more severe symptoms from transfusion-transmitted pathogens. INTERCEPT offers a high degree of safety, beyond that offered by current screening and testing methods. Viruses, bacteria and parasites can all be inactivated, offering protection against a broad range of both known and unrecognized threats.
“The INTERCEPT system also allowed the extension of platelet shelf life from 5 to 7 days, thanks to its effectiveness in eliminating bacteria. Expired products have been reduced to less than 0.5%, which means that even during low donation periods like holidays, the center can maintain an adequate supply.”
“Finally, incorporating the INTERCEPT system into routine use is very simple. In fact, technicians can learn to use the system and begin using it in a routine production in a short period of time.”
INTERCEPT Replaces Gamma Against GVHD
The Spanish Red Cross Transfusion Center in Madrid has benefited from many of the INTERCEPT Blood System advantages, according to Dr. Castro. “With INTERCEPT, we no longer have to do gamma irradiation of platelets. This makes us more self-sufficient, thus allowing us to be better prepared for emergencies. In addition, the INTERCEPT system is much more effective than gamma irradiation in preventing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which is associated with transfusion.”
Stronger Protection from Emerging Viruses and Public Health Threats
INTERCEPT reduces the risk of transmitting viruses, bacteria and parasites through transfusions. With an increasingly mobile global population, and with the ongoing emergence of new viruses and pathogens, this is a fundamental advantage.
Furthermore, INTERCEPT can inactivate emerging pathogens even before their risk is recognized. This proactive protection is possible because it works by blocking the replication of DNA and RNA. INTERCEPT has demonstrated a high probability of eliminating new infectious agents through rigorous independent studies performed on many different forms of blood-borne pathogens.
“At the Red Cross, we are committed to patient safety. We have to take into account the fact that the epidemiological situation in Spain is not the same as in the United States. Our residual risk of contracting certain viruses is greater. Therefore, having a system like INTERCEPT, which inactivates viruses, as well as bacteria, and parasites, provides a measure of security that justifies our continued commitment,” says Dr. Castro.
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