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Updated: May 29, 2026

Preparation of a Blood Culture Pellet for Rapid Bacterial Identification and Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing
Published on: October 15, 2014
[Less blood culture samples: less infections?].
P Gastmeier1, F Schwab, M Behnke
1Institut für Hygiene und Umweltmedizin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutschland. Petra.Gastmeier@charite.de
Higher blood culture frequency in intensive care units (ICUs) is associated with increased central venous catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CVC-BSI). Adjusting for blood culture frequency is crucial for benchmarking CVC-BSI rates and establishing it as a quality indicator.
Area of Science:
- Infection Control
- Epidemiology
- Intensive Care Medicine
Context:
- Nosocomial infections pose a significant threat in intensive care units (ICUs).
- Central venous catheter-associated bloodstream infections (CVC-BSIs) are a common and serious complication.
- The German hospital nosocomial infection surveillance system (KISS) provides valuable data for infection control research.
Purpose:
- To investigate the association between the frequency of blood cultures (BC) and central venous catheter-associated bloodstream infection (CVC-BSI) rates in ICUs.
- To determine if BC frequency influences CVC-BSI rates and if it should be considered in benchmarking.
Summary:
- Analysis of data from 223 ICUs revealed a significant association between higher blood culture frequency and increased CVC-BSI rates.
- Multivariable analysis indicated that a 100 BCs per 1,000 patient days increase correlated with a 1.27-fold higher CVC-BSI incidence density.
- Longer ICU stays increased CVC-BSI risk, while interdisciplinary ICU status showed a protective effect.
Impact:
- External benchmarking of ICU CVC-BSI rates requires adjustment for blood culture frequency.
- Blood culture frequency should be considered a quality indicator for intensive care units.
- Findings inform strategies to improve patient safety and infection control in ICUs.
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