The effect of using blood culture bottle of bronchoalveolar larvage fluid in pneumonia.
Pneumonia is a primary cause of morbidity and mortality in infectious disease, and increasing antimicrobial resistance has raised concerns of treatment failure. Therefore, we evaluated the value of a blood culture bottle for bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples on pathogen identification and on treatment modification in patients with pneumonia.



We conducted a prospective study and enrolled 39 patients who were hospitalized for pneumonia. Enrolled patients underwent BAL; a 10-ml aliquot was transferred to a sterile container for standard quantitative culture, and a 5 ml aliquot was transferred to both an aerobic and an anaerobic blood culture bottle.



Microbes were detected in all 39 (100 %) specimens and possible pathogens were identified in 34 patients (84.6 %) from BAL blood culture bottles. In contrast, microbes were detected in 10 patients (25.6 %) and possible pathogens were isolated in 8 patients (20.5 %) in BAL fluid using conventional culture methods. Finally, 8 of 39 (20.5 %) patients changed antibiotics according to the BAL blood culture results and pneumonia improved in 6 of these patients.



Using blood culture bottles for BAL sampling in patients with pneumonia is a sensitive method to detect pathogens in order to identify an adequate antibiotic treatment regimen.
Department of Internal Medicine, SNU-SMG Boramae Medical Center, 41, Boramaegil, Dong-jak gu, Seoul, Korea. eunyoungheo@gmail.com.
Eun Young
EY
Heo
Department of Laboratory Medicine, SNU-SMG Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Sue
S
Shin
Department of Internal Medicine, SNU-SMG Boramae Medical Center, 41, Boramaegil, Dong-jak gu, Seoul, Korea.
Hee Soon
HS
Chung
Department of Internal Medicine, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Goyang, Korea.
Yun-Jeong
YJ
Jeong
Department of Medical Statistics, SNU-SMG Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
So Hee
SH
Oh
Department of Internal Medicine, SNU-SMG Boramae Medical Center, 41, Boramaegil, Dong-jak gu, Seoul, Korea.
Deog Kyeom
DK
Kim
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000071997:Blood Culture / Q000295:instrumentation; D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D046508:Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis; D053717:Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017211:Treatment Failure
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
Blood culture bottle; Bronchoalveolar lavage; Pneumonia