title: [The clinical consequence of blood culture results].
abstract: The effect of blood culture results on patient management in a department of internal medicine was analyzed retrospectively. In a series of 300 patients 538 blood cultures were taken. Fifty-four (10%) of blood cultures from 44 of the 300 patients were positive, but in 16 patients cultures yielded organisms considered to be contaminants. Only 28 (9.3%) patients' cultures showed growth of clinically significant pathogenic bacteria. Antimicrobial chemotherapy was instituted in 234 (78%) patients before culture results were available. For only 21 (7%) patients did the result of the blood culture have any therapeutic consequences. The high frequency and lack of impact of negative blood cultures demands a more appropriate protocol for blood culturing, and guidelines are suggested.
authors.affiliation: Intern-medicinsk afdeling B, Frederiksberg Hospital.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Magnussen
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Thomsen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bohr
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Friis-Møller
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gjørup
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
vernacular_title: Den kliniske konsekvens af bloddyrkningssvar.