title: Reevaluation of anaerobic blood cultures in a Veteran population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies suggest that the selective use of anaerobic blood cultures may represent a more cost-effective laboratory approach when anaerobic bacterial infection is suspected.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 5-year retrospective study was done at a Veterans' Affairs hospital to determine the utility of routinely including anaerobic blood culture when sampling for bacteremia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 22,075 anaerobic blood cultures were collected from our adult population. Significant anaerobic pathogens were isolated from only 0.14% of these blood cultures. An anaerobic infection could have been suspected in 92% of our patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant anaerobic bloodstream infections occurred in only 0.14% of blood cultures. In addition, the majority of the patients identified with anaerobic bacteremia had clinical conditions that would have suggested a high likelihood of anaerobic bacteremia. These observations suggest that selective rather than routine use of anaerobic blood cultures may be appropriate in a veteran population.
authors.affiliation: James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, Mountain Home, Tenn 37684-4000, USA.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Chandler
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Morton
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Byrd
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fields
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Roy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000191:economics; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003955:Diagnostic Tests, Routine; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013714:Tennessee / Q000453:epidemiology