Table 3.
Distribution of Reviewed Blood-Culture Events by Clinical Indication and Further Stratified by whether the Clinical Indication Followed the Blood-Culture Algorithm (Appropriate) or Not (Inappropriate)
| Indication | Total, No. (% of All Indications) |
Appropriate Blood Culture, No. (% of Row) |
Inappropriate Blood Culture, No. (% of Row) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe sepsis or septic shock | 466 (37.7) | 466 (100) | 0 (0) |
| Isolated fever and/or leukocytosis | 228 (18.4) | 0 (0) | 228 (100) |
| Documenting clearance of bacteremia | 183 (14.8) | 155 (84.7) | 28 (15.3) |
| Other a | 179 (14.5) | 104 (58.1) | 75 (41.9) |
| Suspected infective endocarditis or endovascular infection | 68 (5.5) | 68 (100) | 0 (0) |
| Ventilator-associated pneumonia | 51 (4.1) | 49 (96.1) | 2 (3.9) |
| Post-op fever within 48 h of surgery | 18 (1.5) | 0 (0) | 18 (100) |
| Severe community-acquired pneumonia | 9 (0.7) | 7 (77.8) | 2 (22.2) |
| Catheter-associated bloodstream infection | 8 (0.7) | 8 (100) | 0 (0) |
| Nonsevere community-acquired pneumonia or hospital-acquired pneumonia | 7(0.6) | 3 (42.9) | 4 (57.1) |
| Severe cellulitis or cellulitis in patient with comorbidities | 6 (0.5) | 4 (66.7) | 2 (33.3) |
| Cholangitis | 4 (0.3) | 4 (100) | 0 (0) |
| Acute pyelonephritis | 3 (0.2) | 2 (66.7) | 1 (33.3) |
| Native septic arthritis | 3 (0.2) | 2 (66.7) | 1 (33.3) |
| Meningitis | 2 (0.1) | 2 (100) | 0 (0) |
| Discitis/native vertebral osteomyelitis | 1 (0.1) | 1 (100) | 0 (0) |
| Lower urinary tract infection (cystitis or prostatitis) | 1 (0.1) | 1 (100) | 0 (0) |
| Total | 1237 | 876 (70.8) | 361 (29.2) |
a
Examples of “other” indication include bacteremia in a donor at the time of organ donation, intra-abdominal abscess, mediastinitis.