Blood culture contamination rate in an intensive care setting: Effectiveness of an education-based intervention

Autores de IIS La Fe

• Paula Ramírez Galleymore

  Autor

• Mónica Gordón Sahuquillo

  Autor

• Concepcion Cortes Navalon

  Autor

• Esther Villarreal Tello

  Autor

• Rene Robles Cedeño

  Autor

• Javier Botella De Maglia

  Autor

• Juan Manuel Bonastre Mora

  Autor

Participantes ajenos a IIS La Fe

• Perez-Belles C
• de Hevia L
• Marti JV

Grupos

• Infecciones Respiratorias

  Investigador Principal

  Raúl Méndez Ocaña

• Medicina Intensiva

  Leader

  Álvaro Castellanos Ortega

Abstract

Background: Blood culture (BC) contamination rate is an indicator of quality of care scarcely explored in intensive care units (ICUs). We analyzed the BC contamination rate in our ICU to assess the effectiveness of an education-based intervention. Methods: We conducted an interventional study with concurrent controls. Consecutive BCs drawn during a 6-month period were included. An education-based intervention was presented to case nurses (optimal technique). The remaining nurses comprised the control group (standard technique). Two independent observers assessed clinical significance of saprophytic skin bacteria isolated in BCs. Results: Six hundred fifty-six BCs were obtained: 308 (47%) via optimal technique and 348 (53%) via standard technique (47%). One hundred eighty-seven BCs were positive for saprophytic microorganisms; 127 (89%) were considered unrelated to infection. Coagulase-negative staphylococci isolation was lower in the optimal technique group (14% vs 26%; P < .001), as well as contamination due to coagulase-negative staphylococci (12% vs 21%; P = .002) or Acinetobacter baumannii (0.3% vs 2%; P = .013). BC contamination rate was 13% in the optimal technique group versus 23% in the standard group (P < . 005). In the optimal technique group, BC contamination rate was higher in BCs drawn through the catheter (17% vs 7%; P = .028). Conclusions: An education-based intervention significantly reduced the BC contamination rate in our ICU. It seems necessary to design a tool to extract BCs through the catheter to minimize the risk of contamination. Copyright (C) 2015 by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Keywords

• Coagulase-negative staphylococci; Critical care; False positive blood cultures