Open Access

Reduction in the processing of possible blood culture contaminants by the application of a selection criterion

  • Authors:
    • Ioannis K. Neonakis
    • Dimitra Stafylaki
    • Demetrios A. Spandidos
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: June 25, 2020     https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2020.8935
  • Pages: 2039-2042
  • Copyright: © Neonakis et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Possible blood culture (BC) contaminants are generally considered to be skin flora species including coagulase‑negative Staphylococci (CNS), Corynebacterium species, Micrococcus species, Bacillus species and Propionibacterium acnes. Prior to October 1, 2016 all possible BC contaminants were fully processed (identification, susceptibility testing) in our laboratory. In order to reduce the laboratory workload from October 1, 2016 a possible contaminant was only processed if it was present in more than one BC pair drawn from the same patient within the same day. The two‑year study period was divided in two periods namely period A from January 1, 2016 to September 30, 2016 (first 9 months) and period B from October 1, 2016 to December 31, 2017 (last 15 months). A series of indices (INs) were calculated including among others the Working Rate IN (WR) defined as the total isolates divided to the total number of BCs submitted per month and the CNS Rate (CNSR) defined as the total number of CNS processed divided to the total number of BCs submitted per month. A 23.08% reduction in the CNSR was noted (from 3.51% in period A to 2.70% in period B) whereas the overall WR was reduced from 7.19% in period A to 6.84% in period B. Furthermore, the total number of contaminants processed per month divided to the total number of isolates processed per month was reduced from 54.50% in period A to 42.41% in period B. The reduction in the INs recorded is of great value since it was achieved by the implementation of a simple criterion easily applicable and without any cost.
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September-2020
Volume 20 Issue 3

Print ISSN: 1792-0981
Online ISSN:1792-1015

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Spandidos Publications style
Neonakis IK, Stafylaki D and Spandidos DA: Reduction in the processing of possible blood culture contaminants by the application of a selection criterion. Exp Ther Med 20: 2039-2042, 2020
APA
Neonakis, I.K., Stafylaki, D., & Spandidos, D.A. (2020). Reduction in the processing of possible blood culture contaminants by the application of a selection criterion. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 20, 2039-2042. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2020.8935
MLA
Neonakis, I. K., Stafylaki, D., Spandidos, D. A."Reduction in the processing of possible blood culture contaminants by the application of a selection criterion". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 20.3 (2020): 2039-2042.
Chicago
Neonakis, I. K., Stafylaki, D., Spandidos, D. A."Reduction in the processing of possible blood culture contaminants by the application of a selection criterion". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 20, no. 3 (2020): 2039-2042. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2020.8935