title: Gram negative septicaemia diagnosed on peripheral blood smear appearances.
abstract: Buffy coat smears from febrile patients may contain visible bacteria and therefore detect bacteraemia before conventional blood cultures become positive. However, it is unusual to see micro-organisms in an otherwise untreated peripheral blood smear. The case of a febrile neutropenic patient is reported. A Wright's stained peripheral blood smear contained bacterial elements, thus making earlier diagnosis of septicaemia and identification of the causative bacterium possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fife
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barton
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Burden
mesh_terms: D016470:Bacteremia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007710:Klebsiella Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013194:Staining and Labeling