Effect of iodophor vs iodine tincture skin preparation on blood culture contamination rate.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if iodine tincture is a more effective skin antiseptic for blood culture collection than povidone-iodine, an iodophor.


METHODS
Pairwise comparisons across phases. In phases 1 and 3, blood culture skin preparation was performed with the iodophor; in phases 2 and 4, skin preparation was performed with iodine tincture.


METHODS
Emergency department of a large urban teaching hospital.


METHODS
All adult patients seen in the emergency department who had blood cultures collected because a systemic bacterial infection was suspected.


METHODS
The blood culture contamination rate for the iodophor and iodine tincture skin preparations.


RESULTS
A total of 8467 blood cultures were collected during the study, and 421 (4.97%) were classified as contaminated. The contamination rate for the blood cultures collected using the iodophor was 6.25%, and the contamination rate for the cultures using iodine tincture was 3.74%; this difference is statistically significant (P < .00001).


CONCLUSIONS
The effectiveness of the skin antiseptic may be an important factor in determining contamination rate in blood culturing. If these results are confirmed by others, then institutions that have a high blood culture contamination rate when using an iodophor for skin preparation should consider changing to iodine tincture.
Strand
C L
CL
Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Medical Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY.
Wajsbort
R R
RR
Sturmann
K
K
D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D007455:Iodine; D011206:Povidone-Iodine
D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D011206:Povidone-Iodine; D007455:Iodine