title: Repeat subculture of known positive blood cultures: costly and ineffective in detecting polymicrobial bacteremias.
abstract: Reincubation and subsequent subculture at 72 h of previously positive blood cultures failed to demonstrate an increase in detection of polymicrobial bacteremia as has been previously reported. These procedures increased the cost of blood cultures between 140-192% without yielding new organisms. No new information was gained in 94.7% of cultures and, in 11.1% of the cultures, less information was obtained either because the cultures were sterile or because the original organisms could not be reisolated.
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006801:Humans; D018805:Sepsis / Q000382:microbiology*