Which Patients Should Have Blood Cultures Collected?

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Author: Linda Sanders, MD PGY3
Temple University Hospital
Originally Published: Modern Resident April/May 2016

Patients with bacteremia have a mortality between 30 and 50%, thus obtaining culture data on these sick patients is critical.[1] On the other hand, in the immunocompetent, non-septic patient, blood culture data rarely changes management, has a low yield, with a high rate of contamination and increases cost. False positive blood cultures increase length of stay by four to five days.[2] In order to provide high quality, cost-effective care, emergency physicians need to know which patients benefit from blood cultures being collected.

Blood Cultures in Cellulitis, Pyelonephritis and Pneumonia
The yield of blood cultures in patients with cellulitis is only two percent.[3,4] Meanwhile, the rates of contamination are equal to the rate of true positives and results rarely change antibiotic choice.[3,4] This is true for complicated and uncomplicated cellulitis, ICU patients excluded.

I Was Just Filling up the Tank, Right? When Erythrocyte Transfusion Goes Awry

Originally Published: Modern Resident, February/March 2010

Original Article Author: Robert Katzer, MD
 Georgetown-Washington Hospital Center

Submitted by: Saadiyah Bilal (Publications Committee Co-Chair)

Despite a large amount of research on the issue, there is no universally followed set of indications. However, the transfusion of blood and blood products is a hazardous activity, and we all agree that there are several dangers associated with it. This article deals specifically with the noninfectious reactions encountered during and after transfusion.