Blood cultures in ambulatory outpatients
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Blood cultures are a gold standard specific test for diagnosing many infections. However, the low yield may limit their usefulness, particularly in low-risk populations. This study was conducted to assess the utility of blood culture...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2005-05-01
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| Series: | BMC Infectious Diseases |
| Online Access: | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/5/35 |
| _version_ | 1818540505950060544 |
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| author | Laupland Kevin B Church Deirdre L Gregson Daniel B |
| author_facet | Laupland Kevin B Church Deirdre L Gregson Daniel B |
| author_sort | Laupland Kevin B |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Blood cultures are a gold standard specific test for diagnosing many infections. However, the low yield may limit their usefulness, particularly in low-risk populations. This study was conducted to assess the utility of blood cultures drawn from ambulatory outpatients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Blood cultures drawn at community-based collection sites in the Calgary Health Region (population 1 million) in 2001 and 2002 were included in this study. These patients were analyzed by linkages to acute care health care databases for utilization of acute care facilities within 2 weeks of blood culture draw.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>3102 sets of cultures were drawn from 1732 ambulatory outpatients (annual rate = 89.4 per 100,000 population). Significant isolates were identified from 73 (2.4%) sets of cultures from 51 patients, including <it>Escherichia coli </it>in 18 (35%) and seven (14%) each of <it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>and <it>Streptococcus pneumoniae</it>. Compared to patients with negative cultures, those with positive cultures were older (mean 49.6 vs. 40.1 years, p < 0.01), and more likely to subsequently receive care at a regional emergency department, outpatient antibiotic clinic, or hospital (35/51 vs. 296/1681, p < 0.0001). Of the 331 (19%) patients who received acute care treatment, those with positive cultures presented sooner after community culture draw (median 2 vs. 3 days, p < 0.01) and had longer median treatment duration (6 vs. 2 days, p < 0.01).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Blood cultures drawn in outpatient settings are uncommonly positive, but may define patients for increased intensity of therapy. Strategies to reduce utilization without excluding patients with positive cultures need to be developed for this patient population.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T21:56:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-112aee0ffeb94f27ac3c2f081bc24833 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2334 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T21:56:16Z |
| publishDate | 2005-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Infectious Diseases |
| spelling | doaj.art-112aee0ffeb94f27ac3c2f081bc248332022-12-22T00:49:18ZengBMCBMC Infectious Diseases1471-23342005-05-01513510.1186/1471-2334-5-35Blood cultures in ambulatory outpatientsLaupland Kevin BChurch Deirdre LGregson Daniel B<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Blood cultures are a gold standard specific test for diagnosing many infections. However, the low yield may limit their usefulness, particularly in low-risk populations. This study was conducted to assess the utility of blood cultures drawn from ambulatory outpatients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Blood cultures drawn at community-based collection sites in the Calgary Health Region (population 1 million) in 2001 and 2002 were included in this study. These patients were analyzed by linkages to acute care health care databases for utilization of acute care facilities within 2 weeks of blood culture draw.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>3102 sets of cultures were drawn from 1732 ambulatory outpatients (annual rate = 89.4 per 100,000 population). Significant isolates were identified from 73 (2.4%) sets of cultures from 51 patients, including <it>Escherichia coli </it>in 18 (35%) and seven (14%) each of <it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>and <it>Streptococcus pneumoniae</it>. Compared to patients with negative cultures, those with positive cultures were older (mean 49.6 vs. 40.1 years, p < 0.01), and more likely to subsequently receive care at a regional emergency department, outpatient antibiotic clinic, or hospital (35/51 vs. 296/1681, p < 0.0001). Of the 331 (19%) patients who received acute care treatment, those with positive cultures presented sooner after community culture draw (median 2 vs. 3 days, p < 0.01) and had longer median treatment duration (6 vs. 2 days, p < 0.01).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Blood cultures drawn in outpatient settings are uncommonly positive, but may define patients for increased intensity of therapy. Strategies to reduce utilization without excluding patients with positive cultures need to be developed for this patient population.</p>http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/5/35 |
| spellingShingle | Laupland Kevin B Church Deirdre L Gregson Daniel B Blood cultures in ambulatory outpatients BMC Infectious Diseases |
| title | Blood cultures in ambulatory outpatients |
| title_full | Blood cultures in ambulatory outpatients |
| title_fullStr | Blood cultures in ambulatory outpatients |
| title_full_unstemmed | Blood cultures in ambulatory outpatients |
| title_short | Blood cultures in ambulatory outpatients |
| title_sort | blood cultures in ambulatory outpatients |
| url | http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/5/35 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lauplandkevinb bloodculturesinambulatoryoutpatients AT churchdeirdrel bloodculturesinambulatoryoutpatients AT gregsondanielb bloodculturesinambulatoryoutpatients |