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Blood Culture
Aka: Blood Culture
- Indications: Evaluation of bacterial infection
- Bacteremia
- Sepsis
- Technique
- Preparation of skin
- Chlorhexidine (preferred agent for antiseptic)
- Superior to povidone-iodine
- Superior to Alcohol
- Povidone-Iodine
- Wait to draw blood for 2-3 minutes after applying
- High contamination rate compared with Chlorhexidine
- References
- Mimoz (1999) Ann Intern Med 131:834-7
- Standard collection protocol
- Collect up to 3-4 sets of Blood Culture bottles
- Two Blood Culture bottles in each set
- Obtain 5 ml blood per bottle
- Draw from up to 3 different venipuncture sites
- Space blood collections by 1 hour intervals
- New collection protocol: Six bottle method
- Collect 6 bottles from one venipuncture (total 40 ml)
- Based on mathematical model
- Predicts highest sensitivity and Specificity
- References
- Lamy (2002) Clin Infect Dis 35:842-50
- Efficacy
- Sensitivity
- Increases with number of Blood Cultures drawn
- With 3 Blood Cultures, Sensitivity approaches 90%
- Study of hospitalized patients with persistent fever
- Post-antibiotic culture unlikely to yield pathogen
- Obtain pre-antibiotic Blood Culture and await results
- Grace (2001) Clin Infect Dis 32:1651-5