II. Indications: Evaluation of Bacterial Infection

  1. Bacteremia
  2. Sepsis

III. 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 131:834-7 [PubMed]
  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 35:842-50 [PubMed]

IV. 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 32:1651-5 [PubMed]

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Ontology: Blood culture (C0200949)

Concepts Laboratory Procedure (T059)
ICD9 90.52
SnomedCT 168333009, 145540002, 30088009
English Blood culture, blood culture (lab test), blood culture, Culture blood, Culture-blood, Haemoculture, Hemoculture, of blood culture, blood cultures, blood culture procedure, blood culture of, culture blood, Microscopic examination of blood, culture, Culture of blood, Blood Culture, BC - Blood culture, Blood culture (procedure), Blood culture, NOS
Italian Emocoltura
Dutch kweek bloed, hemocultuur, bloedkweek
Spanish Cultivo de sangre, Hemocultivos, cultivo de sangre, SAI, cultivo de sangre, hemocultivo (procedimiento), hemocultivo, Hemocultivo
Japanese 血液培養, ケツエキバイヨウ
Czech Hemokultura
German Haemokultur, Blutkultur
Hungarian Haemocultura, Haemotenyészet, Hemotenyészet, Hemokultúra
Portuguese Hemocultura
French Hémoculture