Eiad Kseibi, CCM ABIM Certified
Consultant, Adult Critical Care Medicine
King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (Gen. Org.), United States
Disclosure information not submitted.
Nidal Naesah
Critical Care Medicine Resident
King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (Gen. Org.), United States
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Amro Hajja, n/a
Medical student
Alfaisal University - College of Medicne, United States
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Firas Kseibi, n/a
Medical student
Alfaisal University - College of Medicine, United States
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Title: Utilization of Blood Culture in Adult Intensive Care Unit in a Tertiary Institution
Introduction: Bacteremia in Critically Ill Patients Carries a Significant Attributable Mortality. Blood Cultures Are Collected at Clinical Suspicion of Shock and / or Sepsis. Many Studies Had Documented Excessive Use of BC Sampling (BC) in Intensive Care Units.
Methods: All Admissions Over The Period From April 1st to June 30th, 2021, Were Included. Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Were Reviewed for Demographic Data and Orders of BC and Its Result. Categorical Variables Reported as Percentages, and Continuous Variables as Means With Standard Deviation, and / or Median With Interquartile and Range.
Results: A Total of 420 Admissions (243 Males [57.9%]; Mean [SD] Age, 52.3 [18.3] Years) Were Included. Median ICU Length of Stay (LOS) Was 3 Days (Interquartile [IQR] 1 - 6.75, range: 0 - 75). A Total of 503 BC Were Done in Only 262 [63%] Admissions. Mean [SD] BC Was 1 [2], Median 1, IQR 1 - 2, Range 0 - 18. Of the 262 Admissions With BC, 145 [55%] Had Only 1, 65 [25%] Had 2, and 52 [20%] Had 3 or More BC Done. Only 44 [9%] of the Total 503 BC Were Positive. 237 [90%] of BC Were Done At ICU Admission (ICU Day #0) and / or ICU Day #1, of Those Only 15 [6%] Were Positive.
Conclusions: Blood Culture Samplings Are Over Utilized in ICUs. The Positive Yield Is Modest At Best. Further Studies Are Needed To Delineate the Appropriate Timing and Settings That Give the Highest Positive Yield of Such Vital Test, To Minimize Cost and Hemorrhaging of Critically Ill Patient's Blood, Without Compromising Care.