title: Bacteria in blood smears: overwhelming sepsis or trivial contamination.
abstract: It is unusual to find microorganisms in peripheral blood smears, and their presence is frequently associated with overwhelming sepsis and consequently a poor prognosis. In this report, we demonstrate 4 cases with bacteria in blood smears. Two of them had a fatal outcome, but the other 2 were caused by a contamination either via the central venous catheter or in vitro, both without dramatic outcome. The finding of bacteria in blood smears has to be interpreted carefully, and thorough examination of peripheral blood smears may be of great importance in the early diagnosis of bacteremia; however, in vitro contamination must be excluded.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry, University Medical Center St. Radboud Nijmegen, The Netherlands. w.vandermeer@ckcl.azn.nl
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: van der Meer
authors.forename: J M M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Verwiel
authors.forename: C E M
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Gidding
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Metz
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: de Keijzer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001733:Bites and Stings / Q000150:complications; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004285:Dogs; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011006:Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis / Q000097:blood; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000150:complications; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000175:diagnosis