This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Hall, K. K.
Right arrow Articles by Lyman, J. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Hall, K. K.
Right arrow Articles by Lyman, J. A.

 Previous Article

Clinical Microbiology Reviews, October 2006, p. 788-802, Vol. 19, No. 4
0893-8512/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CMR.00062-05
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Updated Review of Blood Culture Contamination

Keri K. Hall1* and Jason A. Lyman2

Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Internal Medicine,1 Division of Clinical Informatics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia 229082

Blood culture contamination represents an ongoing source of frustration for clinicians and microbiologists alike. Ambiguous culture results often lead to diagnostic uncertainty in clinical management and are associated with increased health care costs due to unnecessary treatment and testing. A variety of strategies have been investigated and employed to decrease contamination rates. In addition, numerous approaches to increase our ability to distinguish between clinically significant bacteremia and contamination have been explored. In recent years, there has been an increase in the application of computer-based tools to support infection control activities as well as provide clinical decision support related to the management of infectious diseases. Finally, new approaches for estimating bacteremia risk which have the potential to decrease unnecessary blood culture utilization have been developed and evaluated. In this review, we provide an overview of blood culture contamination and describe the potential utility of a variety of approaches to improve both detection and prevention. While it is clear that progress is being made, fundamental challenges remain.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: P.O. Box 800473, Department of Infection Control, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA 22908. Phone: (434) 924-0260. Fax: (434) 924-1225. E-mail: kkh2n{at}virginia.edu.

Clinical Microbiology Reviews, October 2006, p. 788-802, Vol. 19, No. 4
0893-8512/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/CMR.00062-05
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Gonsalves, W. I., Cornish, N., Moore, M., Chen, A., Varman, M. (2009). Effects of Volume and Site of Blood Draw on Blood Culture Results. J. Clin. Microbiol. 47: 3482-3485 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wellinghausen, N., Kochem, A.-J., Disque, C., Muhl, H., Gebert, S., Winter, J., Matten, J., Sakka, S. G. (2009). Diagnosis of Bacteremia in Whole-Blood Samples by Use of a Commercial Universal 16S rRNA Gene-Based PCR and Sequence Analysis. J. Clin. Microbiol. 47: 2759-2765 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Thompson, F., Madeo, M. (2009). Blood cultures: towards zero false positives. British Journal of Infection Control 10: s24-s26 [Abstract]  
  • Kiyoyama, T., Tokuda, Y., Shiiki, S., Hachiman, T., Shimasaki, T., Endo, K. (2009). Isopropyl Alcohol Compared with Isopropyl Alcohol plus Povidone-Iodine as Skin Preparation for Prevention of Blood Culture Contamination. J. Clin. Microbiol. 47: 54-58 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Tavares, A., Inacio, J., Melo-Cristino, J., Couto, I. (2008). Use of Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization for Rapid Identification of Staphylococci in Blood Culture Samples Collected in a Portuguese Hospital. J. Clin. Microbiol. 46: 3097-3100 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Qamruddin, A, Khanna, N, Orr, D (2008). Peripheral blood culture contamination in adults and venepuncture technique: prospective cohort study. J. Clin. Pathol. 61: 509-513 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Inglis, T. J. J., Hodge, M., Ketharanathan, S. (2008). A hospital-wide study of the impact of introducing a personal data assistant-augmented blood culture round. J Med Microbiol 57: 43-49 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»