Authors: Denise Rhew, Wendy Childress.
Blood culture remains the gold standard for the diagnosis and treatment of bacteraemia and is the first-line tool for detecting bloodstream infections [1]. Research shows that the emergency department (ED) is an essential component of the health care system and subject to workflow challenges, which may hinder ED personnel adherence to guideline-based infection prevention practices [2]. This impact has wide-reaching effects. Moreover, a fast-paced ED presents a host of challenges with competing priorities. In addition, EDs are perceived as 24/7 portals where rapid and efficient diagnosis, urgent attention, primary care, and inpatient admission is provided for stabilizing seriously ill and wounded patients [3]. Blood culture contaminants are common, and they have a significant impact on patients and staff, contributing to unnecessary or inappropriate antibiotic treatment, increased length of stay, and costly economic burden [4]. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of an automated blood culture collection system when drawing blood cultures from a peripheral IV and to evaluate the effectiveness of implementing evidence-based policies, procedures, practice, products, and patient care to reduce blood culture contamination rates.
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