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Public Health and Wellbeing

A collaboration between professionals in Microbiology and Infection Control serving West Wales

Blood cultures: an important test

March 18, 2013 by Dr Mike Simmons Leave a Comment

One of the most important microbiological investigations we undertake is the blood culture.   This is because blood does not normally have bacteria swimming around in it and therefore unlike from non-sterile sites, we can view any organism from a blood culture as potentially serious.

That said, as with any test we undertake, the opportunity for a sample to become contaminated is ever present.  This is just as true for blood culture because the sample is taken from a vein and access to the vein is via a needle through the skin.  Skin is not sterile but is home to many … Read the rest

Filed Under: All, Educational, Infection Tagged With: culture, HCAI, healthcare associated infection, infection, specimens

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