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Various studies show that the contamination rate ranges between 0.6-6% (2-4); it depends upon the sample collection method and processing in the laboratory. The benchmark of blood contamination rate is <3%, as proposed by the Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) (5).
- Antisepsis, Pseudobacteremia, and Therapy of Patients
Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), the most frequent...
- Antisepsis, Pseudobacteremia, and Therapy of Patients
Learn how blood culture contamination can affect patient care and antibiotic stewardship, and how to track and reduce it. Find out the causes, consequences, and best practices for blood culture collection and reporting.
Dec 5, 2023 · The focus of this document is on providing information and specific recommendations for microbiology laboratories to determine and track BCC rates. Information about the clinical significance, costs, and actions to decrease BCC can be found elsewhere (1, 2, 12 – 14).
While the median adult inpatient contamination rate was 2.5%, some organizations had a rate of less than 1.0%, while for other organizations, more than 5.0% of their blood cultures were contaminated.
Apr 3, 2018 · Blood culture (BC) remains the reference standard for the diagnosis of bloodstream infections (BSIs), but contaminations represent up to 50% of positive BCs [1,2].
May 24, 2022 · Over 33 months, 2,083 out of 88,322 total blood cultures collected were contaminated, with an overall contamination rate of 2.4%. A moderate positive correlation was found between the monthly total number of cultures and monthly contamination rate (r = 0.411 P < .01).
Peripheral blood culture contamination (BCC) can lead to an initiation of unnecessary antimicrobial treatment, further laboratory tests, increased length of stay, and increased costs. This study describes a 12-month quality improvement (QI) program to reduce the BCC rate in a neonatal unit by 50%.
