scholarly journals Increased blood culture contamination rate during COVID-19 outbreak in intensive care unit: A brief report from a single-centre

2021 ◽  
pp. 175114372110121
Author(s):  
Emanuele Russo ◽  
Giuliano Bolondi ◽  
Emiliano Gamberini ◽  
Domenico Pietro Santonastaso ◽  
Alessandro Circelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Blood Culture ◽  
Contamination Rate ◽  
Single Centre

scholarly journals Microbial Contamination of Three-Way Taps on Arterial Lines

1998 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. M. Widdowson ◽  
L. Walker ◽  
J. H. Havill ◽  
J. W. Sleigh
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Blood Culture ◽  
Microbial Contamination ◽  
General Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Contamination Rate ◽  
Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Measure Blood Pressure

Arterial lines with three-way taps are used to measure blood pressure and aspirate blood, and are a potential source of catheter-related sepsis. Swabs were taken daily from 118 three-way taps on 98 arterial lines in a general intensive care unit. Infusion lines were changed weekly but arterial cannulae were not changed routinely. An overall contamination rate of 24.6% was found with the predominant organism being coagulase negative staphylococcus. The three-way taps became increasingly contaminated with time but this was shown to be unrelated to the manipulation rates. Blood culture organisms in those showing contamination of the three-way taps showed no relationship to the bacteria causing the contamination.

Skin Antisepsis Kits Containing Alcohol and Chlorhexidine Gluconate or Tincture of Iodine are Associated With Low Rates of Blood Culture Contamination

2002 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 397-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara W. Trautner ◽  
Jill E. Clarridge ◽  
Rabih O. Darouiche
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Blood Culture ◽  
Isopropyl Alcohol ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Chlorhexidine Gluconate ◽  
The Other ◽  
Contamination Rate ◽  
Skin Preparation ◽  
Skin Antisepsis

Objective:Skin preparation is an important factor in reducing the rate of blood culture contamination. We assessed blood culture contamination rates associated with the use of skin antisepsis kits containing either 2% alcoholic chlorhexidine gluconate or 2% alcoholic tincture of iodine.Design:Prospective, blinded clinical trial.Setting:Tertiary-care teaching hospital.Patients:Adult patients in medical wards, the medical intensive care unit, and the cardiac intensive care unit who needed paired, percutaneous blood cultures.Interventions:House officers, medical students, and healthcare technicians drew the blood for cultures. We prepared sacks containing all of the necessary supplies, including two different types of antiseptic kits. In each sack, one kit contained 2% chlorhexidine in 70% isopropyl alcohol and the other contained 2% tincture of iodine in ethyl alcohol and 70% isopropyl alcohol. Each patient received chlorhexidine at one site and tincture of iodine at the other.Results:Four (0.9%) of 430 blood culture sets from 215 patients were contaminated. The contamination rate when using alcohol and chlorhexidine (1 of 215, 0.5%) did not differ significantly from the contamination rate when using tincture of iodine (3 of 215,1.4%;P= .62, McNemar test). There was an 87% probability that the two interventions differed by less than 2% in their rate of contamination.Conclusions:Both of these antiseptic kits were highly effective for skin preparation prior to drawing blood for cultures. The use of these kits may have contributed to the low contamination rate observed in this study.

scholarly journals 1528. Rates of Peripheral Blood Culture Contamination in an Urban Children’s Hospital

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S556-S557
Author(s):  
Derek Tam ◽  
Kyle Hengel ◽  
Aparna Arun
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Blood Culture ◽  
Peripheral Blood ◽  
Contamination Rate ◽  
Improvement Project ◽  
Culture Bottle ◽  
Children's Hospital ◽  
Peripheral Blood Culture ◽  
Children’S Hospital

Abstract Background Positive peripheral blood culture results are essential in guiding antimicrobial therapy in patients with bacteremia. However, false-positive results may frequently pose diagnostic issues in interpreting the test. These results can lead to increased costs and patient harm through the administration of unnecessary antibiotics and prolongation of hospital stay. The maximum acceptable contamination rate for peripheral blood cultures as suggested by the College of American Pathologists is 3%. Methods We initiated a longitudinal quality improvement project to monitor peripheral blood contamination rates at our children’s hospital in Brooklyn, NY. We reviewed positive blood culture results on a monthly basis and assessed whether they represented true infections vs. contamination based on review of patient charts. Residents and nurses in the pediatric emergency department (ED), neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), inpatient unit, and newborn nursery were educated on proper skin sterilization techniques using video demonstration; the importance of avoiding palpating the venipuncture site after sterilization and the importance of cleaning the port on the blood culture bottle were reinforced. Results The pediatric ED and the PICU had the highest contamination rates in 2018 at 4.38% and 3.82%, respectively. The newborn nursery had the lowest contamination rate, at 0%. The NICU and pediatric inpatient units had contamination rates that met the goal as well, at 1.25% and 0.72%, respectively. Conclusion The departments in need of targeted interventions are the pediatric ED and the PICU, both of which had contamination rates greater than the 3% goal rate set for our project. Future interventions currently being considered include re-education of nursing and resident staff as well as the creation of equipment bundles to facilitate adequate skin preparation prior to venipuncture. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

scholarly journals Sepsis Criteria and Revision in Toxicological Intensive Care Unit

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 31452.1-31452.10
Author(s):  
Haleh Talaie ◽  
◽  
Maryam Nazari ◽  
Habib Emami ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Blood Culture ◽  
Positive Blood Culture ◽  
Coagulase Negative Staphylococci ◽  
International Consensus ◽  
Suspected Sepsis ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Arterial Blood ◽  
Study Results

Background: Sepsis is one of the significant causes of mortality in hospitalized patients. This cross-sectional study was performed to determine the frequency of positive blood culture and assess sepsis criteria based on Third International Consensus Definitions (related to Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score) and clinical and paraclinical findings (i.e., on-admission leukocytosis, increased lactate level, and fever) in poisoned patients admitted to the Toxicological Intensive Care Unit (TICU). Methods: Medical records of a total of 2000 poisoned patients admitted to the TICU of Loghman Hakim Hospital from 2016 to 2018 were assessed. Among them, 189 cases (9.45%) with suspected sepsis were considered eligible to be enrolled in the study. Results: Of 189 cases, 146 (77.24%) had possible signs and symptoms of sepsis as well as SOFA score higher than two with positive blood culture in 81 cases (55%). The Mean±SD serum level of lactate was 25.97±16.32 on admission. The most common pathogen detected in blood culture was coagulase-negative Staphylococci in 35 (24.0%) out of 146 cases. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) less than 12, age older than 50 years, and bilirubin more than 1.2 mg/dL were found as independent predictors of sepsis on multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Based on our findings, it is proposed that the sepsis definition should not be restricted to the guidelines. The patients’ poisoning background and presence of many confounding factors, including poisoning-induced on-admission increased lactate levels, leukocytosis, and disturbed arterial blood gas provide a critical decision-making situation to confirm sepsis according to guidelines.

Clinical Outcomes of Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Bloodstream Infections: Study of a 2-State Monoclonal Outbreak

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (10) ◽  
pp. 1057-1062 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Silvia Munoz-Price ◽  
Teresa Zembower ◽  
Sudhir Penugonda ◽  
Paul Schreckenberger ◽  
Mary Alice Lavin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Blood Culture ◽  
Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽  
Bloodstream Infection ◽  
Positive Blood Culture ◽  
Culture Result ◽  
Blood Culture Result ◽  
Carbapenem Resistant ◽  
Single Positive

Objective.To characterize the clinical outcomes of patients with bloodstream infection caused by carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii during a 2-state monoclonal outbreak.Design.Multicenter observational study.Setting.Four tertiary care hospitals and 1 long-term acute care hospital.Methods.A retrospective medical chart review was conducted for all consecutive patients during the period January 1, 2005, through April 30, 2006, for whom 1 or more blood cultures yielded carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii.Results.We identified 86 patients from the 16-month study period. Their mortality rate was 41%; of the 35 patients who died, one-third (13) had positive blood culture results for carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii at the time of death. Risk factors associated with mortality were intensive care unit stay, malignancy, and presence of fever and/or hypotension at the time blood sample for culture was obtained. Only 5 patients received adequate empirical antibiotic treatment, but the choice of treatment did not affect mortality.Fifty-seven patients (66.2%) had a single positive blood culture result for carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii; the only factor associated with a single positive blood culture result was the presence of decubitus ulcers. Interestingly, during the study period, a transition from single to multiple positive blood culture results was observed. Four patients, 3 of whom were in a burn intensive care unit, were bacteremic for more than 30 days (range, 36–86 days).Conclusions.To our knowledge, this is the first time a study has described 2 patterns of bloodstream infection with A. baumannii: single versus multiple positive blood culture results, as well as a subset of patients with prolonged bacteremia.

scholarly journals A Diagnostic Stewardship Intervention To Improve Blood Culture Use among Adult Nonneutropenic Inpatients: the DISTRIBUTE Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Fabre ◽  
Eili Klein ◽  
Alejandra B. Salinas ◽  
George Jones ◽  
Karen C. Carroll ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Blood Culture ◽  
Surgical Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Surgical Intensive Care ◽  
Control Units ◽  
Stewardship Program ◽  
Academic Center ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Interventions to optimize blood culture (BCx) practices in adult inpatients are limited. We conducted a before-after study evaluating the impact of a diagnostic stewardship program that aimed to optimize BCx use in a medical intensive care unit (MICU) and five medicine units at a large academic center. The program included implementation of an evidence-based algorithm detailing indications for BCx use and education and feedback to providers about BCx rates and indication inappropriateness. Neutropenic patients were excluded. BCx rates from contemporary control units were obtained for comparison. The primary outcome was the change in BCxs ordered with the intervention. Secondary outcomes included proportion of inappropriate BCx, solitary BCx, and positive BCx. Balancing metrics included compliance with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) SEP-1 BCx component, 30-day readmission, and all-cause in-hospital and 30-day mortality. After the intervention, BCx rates decreased from 27.7 to 22.8 BCx/100 patient-days (PDs) in the MICU (P = 0.001) and from 10.9 to 7.7 BCx/100 PD for the 5 medicine units combined (P < 0.001). BCx rates in the control units did not decrease significantly (surgical intensive care unit [ICU], P = 0.06; surgical units, P = 0.15). The proportion of inappropriate BCxs did not significantly change with the intervention (30% in the MICU and 50% in medicine units). BCx positivity increased in the MICU (from 8% to 11%, P < 0.001). Solitary BCxs decreased by 21% in the medicine units (P < 0.001). Balancing metrics were similar before and after the intervention. BCx use can be optimized with clinician education and practice guidance without affecting sepsis quality metrics or mortality.

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