Blood Culture: The Impact of Preanalytics & Challenges Faced by Nursing

The success of blood cultures is dependent on the collection of uncontaminated specimens, culture of a large volume of blood, and inoculation of multiple media types to maximize the recovery of most bloodstream pathogens. This lecture will review specific guidelines for specimen collection, selection of blood culture media, and the relationship between the volume of blood cultured and percent positive blood cultures, including the impact of prior exposure to antibiotics.  One additional layer of complexity arises when Catheter Associated Blood Stream Infection (CABSI) is suspected which is a unique challenge for nurses.  This lecture will also discuss key considerations and review the best practices associated with collecting blood cultures from lines. 

 

Learning Objectives