Increasing the Yield of Blood Cultures in Neonates

Increasing the Yield of Blood Cultures in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit- A Prospective Controlled Trial

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the use of a single blood sample of 1cc in an aerobic bottle will provide a better yield and time to positivity than 2 samples of 0.5 cc in 2 (aerobic and anaerobic) bottles for blood cultures in neonates.

Inclusion Criteria:

• All blood cultures taken in the NICU during the study period.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Bacteria that are normal flora of the skin such as Coagulase negative staphylococci or Streptococci Viridans are considered, except if grown in two sets of cultures or in the presence of laboratory and clinical indices of infection.