The Utility of Blood Cultures in Non-Febrile Patients and Patients with Antibiotics Therapy in Internal Medicine Departments.

ABSTRACT: Background: The injudicious use of blood cultures is associated with low cost-effectiveness and leads to unnecessary follow-up tests for false-positive results. In addition, false negatives can result in missed diagnoses, leading to delays in initiating appropriate treatment and potentially worsening patient outcomes. The timing of the blood culture tests related to the highest diagnostic yield is not fully elucidated. We hypothesized that a high proportion of the tests are done within non-optimal timing, resulting in a lower clinical yield. We specifically focused on the consequences of BC obtained in afebrile patients. Methods: We assessed 73,787 blood cultures taken between 2014 and 2020 in patients hospitalized with a suspected infection. Blood cultures were considered ta

SUBMITTER: Cojocaru Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11989235 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature