Endemic staphylococcal pseudobacteremia

Endemic staphylococcal pseudobacteremia is defined as a situation in which coagulase-negative staphylococci are isolated from blood cultures more frequently than would be expected. Such false-positive blood cultures may influence patient care significantly and add considerably to its cost. This appears to be a more common phenomenon in hospitals in which blood cultures are drawn by house staff, but many occur in any hospital. A survey of all positive blood cultures will identify this problem. Careful attention to the proper procedure for collecting blood cultures should help prevent this phenomenon of endemic coagulase-negative staphylococcal pseudobacteremia.