title: Optimal testing parameters for blood cultures.
abstract: The effects of volume of blood, number of consecutive cultures, and incubation time on pathogen recovery were evaluated for 37,568 blood cultures tested with the automated BACTEC 9240 instrument (Becton Dickinson Diagnostic Instrument Systems) at a tertiary care center over the period of 12 June 1996 through 12 October 1997. When the results for this study were compared with previous data published for manual broth-based blood culture systems and patient samples obtained in the 1970s and 1980s, the following were found: (1) the percentage increase in pathogen recovery per milliliter of blood is less, (2) more consecutive blood culture sets over a 24-h period are required to detect bloodstream pathogens, and (3) a shorter duration of incubation is required to diagnose bloodstream infections. Guidelines developed in the 1970s and 1980s for processing and culturing blood may require revision.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Division of Microbiology, Mayo Clinic and Foundation and Mayo Medical School, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA. cockerill.franklin@mayo.edu
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Cockerill
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Vetter
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Torgerson
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Harmsen
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Schleck
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Ilstrup
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Washington
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003470:Culture Media; D006801:Humans; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media