title: [Effectiveness of an educational program for reducing blood culture contamination].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Blood culture contaminations can lead to unnecessary diagnostic procedures and treatments, increasing workload, length of stay, and costs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Development of an educational program to reduce contamination rates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study compared contamination rates (CR) between a pre-intervention period (Ppre) and post-intervention period (Ppos), where clinical charts from patients with positive blood cultures were reviewed. Intervention consisted of a questionnaire where knowledge of blood culture practice and its significance was assessed. Results are discussed and explained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A presentation on blood culture guidelines was discussed in every nurse station. There was a median of 64% (40.8-78.5) attendance rate. The median of correct answers was 69% in the Ppre (54.1-83.3) with 85.7% (83.3-100) in the Ppos, indicating an improvement in 85.7% of the departments that could be compared. There were 136 (4.2%) contaminants in the Ppre and 186 (6.05%) in the Ppos (P=.005). Among the different departments the average of CR varied from 5% vs 7.5% (P=.79) between 2011 and 2012. Only 2 departments reduced CR by 2% to 2.5%, the difference was not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intervention failed to reduce overall contamination rates, but knowledge of blood culture practice improved. Our results identified the errors that will help us to design a successful approach in future follow-up programs.
authors: Unidad Multidisciplinar de Sepsis, Hospital Son Llàtzer, Palma de Mallorca, España. Electronic address: begomarsella@hotmail.com.
authors: Begoña
authors: B
authors: de Dios García
authors: Unidad Multidisciplinar de Sepsis, Hospital Son Llàtzer, Palma de Mallorca, España.
authors: Yolanda
authors: Y
authors: Lladò Maura
authors: Enfermería de la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital Son Llàtzer, Palma de Mallorca, España.
authors: José Vicente
authors: JV
authors: Val-Pérez
authors: Enfermería de la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital Son Llàtzer, Palma de Mallorca, España.
authors: Juana M
authors: JM
authors: Arévalo Rupert
authors: Enfermería de la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital Son Llàtzer, Palma de Mallorca, España.
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Company Barceló
authors: Enfermería de la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, Hospital Son Llàtzer, Palma de Mallorca, España.
authors: Luisa
authors: L
authors: Castillo-Domingo
authors: Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Son Llàtzer, Palma de Mallorca, España.
authors: Victoria
authors: V
authors: Férnandez
authors: Servicio de Microbiología, Hospital Son Llàtzer, Palma de Mallorca, España.
authors: María Cruz
authors: MC
authors: Pérez-Seco
authors: Unidad Multidisciplinar de Sepsis, Hospital Son Llàtzer, Palma de Mallorca, España.
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: del Castillo Blanco
authors: Unidad Multidisciplinar de Sepsis, Hospital Son Llàtzer, Palma de Mallorca, España.
authors: Marcio
authors: M
authors: Borges-Sa
mesh_terms: D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000592:standards*; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006403:Hematologic Tests / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Educational program; Programa educacional; Pseudobacteremia; Pseudobacteriemia; Reducción hemocultivos contaminados; Reducing blood cultures contamination