Clinical value of anaerobic blood culture: a retrospective analysis of positive patient episodes.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical value of anaerobic blood culture.


METHODS
Blood culture bottles (n = 25,185) submitted for culture over a two year period were reviewed.


RESULTS
The bottles yielded 1992 positive patient episodes, a positive rate of 14.4/1000 hospital admissions. Significantly more isolations were obtained from aerobic than from anaerobic bottles. Twelve of the 38 anaerobic episodes were detected in aerobic bottles. Clinical management was influenced in one of 24 patients whose cultures yielded anaerobes from anaerobic bottles only. For a further six patients it was unlikely that the result had any effect on clinical management.


CONCLUSIONS
If aerobic bottles were substituted for the anaerobic bottles, detection of positive patient episodes would increase by at least 6%. A higher yield would be achieved by using two aerobic bottles for routine culture and using anaerobic bottles only for patients where anaerobic culture may influence clinical management.
James
P A
PA
Department of Microbiology, Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust, Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, South Wales, UK.
al-Shafi
K M
KM
D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D012189:Retrospective Studies