Infectious Disease Book

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Blood Culture

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  1. Indications: Evaluation of bacterial infection
    1. Bacteremia
    2. Sepsis
  2. Technique
    1. Preparation of skin
      1. Chlorhexidine (preferred agent for antiseptic)
        1. Superior to povidone-iodine
        2. Superior to Alcohol
      2. Povidone-Iodine
        1. Wait to draw blood for 2-3 minutes after applying
        2. High contamination rate compared with Chlorhexidine
      3. References
        1. Mimoz (1999) Ann Intern Med 131:834
    2. Standard collection protocol
      1. Collect up to 3-4 sets of blood culture bottles
        1. Two blood culture bottles in each set
        2. Obtain 5 ml blood per bottle
      2. Draw from up to 3 different venipuncture sites
      3. Space blood collections by 1 hour intervals
    3. New collection protocol: Six bottle method
      1. Collect 6 bottles from one venipuncture (total 40 ml)
      2. Based on mathematical model
      3. Predicts highest sensitivity and Specificity
      4. References
        1. Lamy (2002) Clin Infect Dis 35:842
  3. Efficacy
    1. Sensitivity
      1. Increases with number of blood cultures drawn
      2. With 3 blood cultures, Sensitivity approaches 90%
    2. Study of hospitalized patients with persistent fever
      1. Post-antibiotic culture unlikely to yield pathogen
      2. Obtain pre-antibiotic blood culture and await results
      3. Grace (2001) Clin Infect Dis 32:1651

Blood culture (C0200949)

ConceptsLaboratory Procedure (T059)
ICD990.52
EnglishBlood culture, Culture of blood
Spanishcultivo de sangre, hemocultivo
CreditsDerived from the NIH UMLS (Unified Medical Language System)



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