title: Comparison of blood-culture results after five and seven days of incubation using the BACTEC NR660.
abstract: We compared 16,606 blood cultures for microbial growth on days 5, 6, and 7 of incubation using the BACTEC NR660. Only 20 potentially significant organisms (0.8% of positive cultures) were detected after day 5 and only one resulted in a change of patient management. We recommend users of the BACTEC NR660 consider a 5-day protocol for routine blood cultures.
authors.affiliation: Arkadi M. Rywlin Department of Pathology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, Florida 33140.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Poppiti
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development*; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D018805:Sepsis / Q000382:microbiology*; D013997:Time Factors