Bacterial contamination is the presence of bacteria in the blood. Blood should be free of bacteria. Blood is collected and manufactured under sterile conditions to maintain this aseptic state. Bacterially contaminated blood components should NOT be transfused and any components suspected of bacterial contamination based on a visual inspection should be reported to Canadian Blood Services using the feedback form on blood.ca. Contact the nearest distribution centre to report potential contamination and receive further instructions.
Possible (though rare) causes of bacterial contamination include the following: