Utility of blood cultures in the management of adults with community acquired pneumonia discharged from the emergency department.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the clinical value of blood cultures (BCs) in the management of adult patients discharged from the emergency department (ED) with a diagnosis of community acquired pneumonia (CAP).


METHODS
The courses of antibiotic regimens and outcomes of patients with positive BC results were examined to assess their influence on BCs.


RESULTS
BCs were obtained from 289 outpatients. Six clinically significant organisms were identified (a yield of 2.1%). Outpatients with CAP who had blood cultures performed had a 0.69% (2 of 289) chance of having a change of treatment directed by the results of the culture.


CONCLUSIONS
BCs have little utility in the ambulatory management of CAP.
Campbell
S G
SG
Department of Emergency Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. emsgc@qe2-hsc.ns.ca
Marrie
T J
TJ
Anstey
R
R
Ackroyd-Stolarz
S
S
Dickinson
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D003688:Deinstitutionalization; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents