Effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on blood culture contamination rate at a tertiary care academic medical center
Document Type
Event
Abstract
A blood culture is a simple diagnostic test used in the detection of microorganismal growth within the bloodstream, indicative of a bloodstream infection. With this test comes the risk of a false positive result, which can be caused by a number of factors including improper sterilization or staff error. With the coronavirus pandemic inflicting stress on health professionals globally, it is uncertain if the pandemic has had an effect on blood culture collection or contamination. The goal of this research is to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on blood culture patterns by comparing collection and contamination rates organized by staff, unit type, and collection site from before and during the COVID-19 pandemic period, as well as to identify a correlation between community COVID-19 cases and hospital contamination rates in a single medical center. Significant increases were found in draws collected by nursing staff and from peripheral sites since the start of the pandemic, while there was a decrease in the total phlebotomy draws. Increases in blood culture collection were also seen in adult acute departments and all emergency departments (both adult and pediatric). When analyzing the incidence of contaminated cultures since the onset of the pandemic, those collected by nursing staff saw heightened contamination rates with an increase from 2.0% to 2.4%, as well as draws collected from both peripheral (from 2.1% to 2.5%) and indwelling lines (from 1.1% to 1.7%). In all non-emergent units, blood culture contamination rates rose from 2.1% before the pandemic to 2.5% after the start. The occurrence of contamination events significantly increased in the adult acute, adult emergency, and pediatric intensive care units, by 23%, 75%, and 59%, respectively, after the beginning of the pandemic period. A positive correlation was detected between the facility’s monthly blood culture contamination rates and the monthly positive COVID-19 cases for both the county and state to which this facility resides. With evidence of these significant changes seen since the start of the pandemic, recommendations can be made that highlight the importance of staff education regarding blood culture collection techniques as well as acknowledgement of the effect of increased workloads since the start of the pandemic.
Effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on blood culture contamination rate at a tertiary care academic medical center
Breakout Session A: Health Sciences I
CASB 101A blood culture is a simple diagnostic test used in the detection of microorganismal growth within the bloodstream, indicative of a bloodstream infection. With this test comes the risk of a false positive result, which can be caused by a number of factors including improper sterilization or staff error. With the coronavirus pandemic inflicting stress on health professionals globally, it is uncertain if the pandemic has had an effect on blood culture collection or contamination. The goal of this research is to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on blood culture patterns by comparing collection and contamination rates organized by staff, unit type, and collection site from before and during the COVID-19 pandemic period, as well as to identify a correlation between community COVID-19 cases and hospital contamination rates in a single medical center. Significant increases were found in draws collected by nursing staff and from peripheral sites since the start of the pandemic, while there was a decrease in the total phlebotomy draws. Increases in blood culture collection were also seen in adult acute departments and all emergency departments (both adult and pediatric). When analyzing the incidence of contaminated cultures since the onset of the pandemic, those collected by nursing staff saw heightened contamination rates with an increase from 2.0% to 2.4%, as well as draws collected from both peripheral (from 2.1% to 2.5%) and indwelling lines (from 1.1% to 1.7%). In all non-emergent units, blood culture contamination rates rose from 2.1% before the pandemic to 2.5% after the start. The occurrence of contamination events significantly increased in the adult acute, adult emergency, and pediatric intensive care units, by 23%, 75%, and 59%, respectively, after the beginning of the pandemic period. A positive correlation was detected between the facility’s monthly blood culture contamination rates and the monthly positive COVID-19 cases for both the county and state to which this facility resides. With evidence of these significant changes seen since the start of the pandemic, recommendations can be made that highlight the importance of staff education regarding blood culture collection techniques as well as acknowledgement of the effect of increased workloads since the start of the pandemic.