title: Lack of requirement for prolonged incubation of Septi-Chek blood culture bottles in patients with bacteremia due to fastidious bacteria.
abstract: A questionnaire survey for which there were 538 respondents from American clinical microbiology laboratories was used to assess the need for prolonged incubation of Septi-Chek blood culture bottles for the recovery of HACEK bacilli, Brucella species, Francisella tularensis, and nutritionally deficient streptococci from blood. Among a total of 219 reported isolates of these bacteria, in only 6 cases (2.7%) was incubation longer than 7 days required. Only 2 of 136 patients (1.5%) were noted to be bacteremic exclusively following incubation of Septi-Chek blood culture bottles for periods of greater than 7 days. It appeared from the results of this study, that incubation of Septi-Chek blood culture bottles for 7 days is usually sufficient in patients suspected of having bacteremia due to fastidious bacteria.
authors.affiliation: University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Department of Clinical Microbiology 01655-0219, USA.
authors.forename: G V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Doern
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Davaro
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Campognone
mesh_terms: D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D003470:Culture Media; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media