Blood culture collection through peripheral intravenous catheters increases the risk of specimen contamination among adult emergency department patients

摘要

False-positive blood cultures due to specimen contamination with skin bacteria are common problems that lead to substantial patient morbidity, overuse of antibiotics, and increased costs. 1-4 Blood culture specimens are frequently collected through peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVs). 4,5 However, collecting cultures through PIVs rather than by dedicated venipuncture may lead to higher contamination rates due to the difficulty of adequately sterilizing a collection site in the presence of a catheter. 6 The purpose of this study was to assess the risk of blood culture contamination associated with collecting specimens through PIVs compared with dedicated venipuncture in adult emergency department patients.