The importance of blood culture in managing bloodstream infections (BSI) can't be overemphasized, especially in critical care units such as the Intensive Care Units (ICU). Being the universally accepted technique for diagnosing BSIs and determining the associated resistance pattern, its contamination often leads to diagnostic inaccuracy, promoting the misuse of antibiotics, extended stays in the…
Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore have identified a critical issue in infection prevention: the absence of a standard definition for blood culture contamination. This lack of consensus may lead to a rise in false positives and Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections (CLABSIs).
Lead author Valeria Fabre, MD, an associate professor of medicine in…