"Blood cultures" redirects here. For the indie pop group, see Blood Cultures (band).
Blood culture
A laboratory worker unloads blood culture bottles from a BACT/Alert machine, an automated system used to incubate blood cultures and detect microbial growth
MeSH
D000071997
LOINC
600-7
MedlinePlus
003744
[edit on Wikidata]
A blood culture is a medical laboratory test used to detect bacteria or fungi in a person's blood. Under normal conditions, the blood does not contain microorganisms: their presence can indicate a bloodstream infection such as bacteremia or fungemia, which in severe cases may result in sepsis. By culturing the blood, microbes can be identified and tested for resistance to antimicrobial drugs, which allows clinicians to provide an effective treatment.
To perform the test, blood is drawn into bottles containing a liquid formula that enhances microbial growth, called a culture medium. Usually, two containers are collected during one draw, one of which is designed for aerobic organisms that require oxygen, and one of which is for anaerobic organisms, that do not. These two containers are referred to as a set of blood cultures. Two sets of blood cultures are sometimes collected from two different blood draw sites. If an organism only appears in one of the two sets, it is more likely to represent contamination with skin flora than a true bloodstream infection. False negative results can occur if the sample is collected after the person has received antimicrobial drugs or if the bottles are not filled with the recommended amount of blood. Some organisms do not grow well in blood cultures and require special techniques for detection.
The containers are placed in an incubator for several days to allow the organisms to multiply. If microbial growth is detected, a Gram stain is conducted from the culture bottle to confirm that organisms are present and provide preliminary information about their identity. The blood is then subcultured, meaning it is streaked onto an agar plate to isolate microbial colonies for full identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Because it is essential that bloodstream infections are diagnosed and treated quickly, rapid testing methods have been developed using technologies like polymerase chain reaction and MALDI-TOF MS.
Procedures for culturing the blood were published as early as the mid-19th century, but these techniques were labour-intensive and bore little resemblance to contemporary methods. Detection of microbial growth involved visual examination of the culture bottles until automated blood culture systems, which monitor gases produced by microbial metabolism, were introduced in the 1970s. In developed countries, manual blood culture methods have largely been made obsolete by automated systems.
A bloodculture is a medical laboratory test used to detect bacteria or fungi in a person's blood. Under normal conditions, the blood does not contain...
blood pressure. Sepsis guidelines recommend obtaining bloodcultures before starting antibiotics; however, the diagnosis does not require the blood to...
away from those same cells. Blood is composed of blood cells suspended in blood plasma. Plasma, which constitutes 55% of blood fluid, is mostly water (92%...
infections of blood caused by blood-borne pathogens. The detection of microbes in the blood (most commonly accomplished by bloodcultures) is always abnormal...
will determine if there are pathogens in the blood. Normally blood is sterile. When drawing blood from cultures use a sterile solution such as Betadine rather...
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systematics. Culture collection are also repositories of type strains. Colony-forming unit Bloodculture Microbial dark matter Microbial Food Cultures Screening...
the clinical history but some biological tests like complete blood count and bloodculture are also used. In addition radiological investigations like...
staphylococci. Diagnosis is suspected based on symptoms and supported by bloodcultures or ultrasound of the heart. There is also a noninfective form of endocarditis...
heat-treated blood (40–45 °C or 104–113 °F), which turns brown and gives the medium the color for which it is named. The choice of culture medium might...
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Elsevier Health Sciences. p. xiii. ISBN 978-0-323-22592-2. "Chapter 3.4.1: Bloodcultures; general detection and interpretation". Clinical Microbiology Procedures...
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rupturing (lysis) of red blood cells (erythrocytes) and the release of their contents (cytoplasm) into surrounding fluid (e.g. blood plasma). Hemolysis may...
on clinical features, investigations such as an echocardiogram, and bloodcultures demonstrating the presence of endocarditis-causing microorganisms. Signs...
Elsevier Health Sciences. p. xiii. ISBN 978-0-323-22592-2. "Chapter 3.4.1: Bloodcultures; general detection and interpretation". Clinical Microbiology Procedures...
the lag period involved in bacterial growth. Bloodcultures can allow for diagnostic results after culture. Recent development of DNA based PCR diagnostics...
Nørgaard, M.; Schønheyder, H. (2007). "First notification of positive bloodcultures: High accuracy of the Gram stain report". Journal of Clinical Microbiology...
Determination of blood type for blood transfusion or transplants Bloodcultures are commonly taken if infection is suspected. Positive cultures and resulting...
Coant PN, Kornberg AE, Duffy LC, Dryja DM, Hassan SM (August 1992). "Bloodculture results as determinants in the organism identification of bacterial...
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