Resource Newsletter Archive
Guidelines for Choosing a Tissue Bank
The tissue bank is overseen by an active and independent board committed to serving community tissue needs on a fair and equal basis and therefore qualifies for 501(c)(3) federal tax status.
AATB accreditation The tissue bank has achieved accreditation through the American Association of Tissue Banks. If more than one organization has been involved in judging donor suitability and recovering and processing tissue, all should be AATB accredited.
Aseptic procedures All procedures, from recovery through processing, have been performed using sterile technique.
Procurement culturing and discard policies Tissues are cultured at procurement, before they are exposed to antibiotics, to detect pathogenic organisms that might survive disinfection or sterilization procedures. Musculoskeletal tissues testing positive for pathogens are discarded.
Recovery time limits Procurement always takes place within AATB time limits after asystole.
Tracking systems The tissue bank can accurately and quickly track tissue between donor and patient, identifying, if necessary, all recipients of tissue from each donor.