Table 2. Changes in detection rates of bloodstream pathogens during the blood culture bottle supply shortage.
GPC: Gram-positive cocci; GPR: Gram-positive rods; GNC: Gram-negative cocci; GNR: Gram-negative rods
The table summarizes the number and percentage of true-positive blood culture episodes for each organism group before and during the shortage of blood culture bottles. Each episode was defined as a unique patient day with a confirmed bloodstream infection. If multiple species were identified in a single submission, a single episode was considered. Only patients aged ≥15 years were included, and duplicate episodes were removed based on patient ID and date. Comparisons between the pre-shortage and shortage periods were performed using Fisher’s exact test. p-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
| Strain | Pre-shortage count (n = 350) | Shortage period count (n = 154) | p-value |
| Gram-positive bacteria | |||
| Bacillus spp. | 2 | 3 | 0.169 |
| Clostridium spp. | 11 | 2 | 0.361 |
| Corynebacterium spp. | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Cutibacterium spp. | 1 | 0 | - |
| Enterococcus spp. | 35 | 12 | 0.508 |
| Staphylococcus aureus | 54 | 21 | 0.684 |
| Other Staphylococcus spp. | 34 | 18 | 0.526 |
| Streptococcus spp. | 26 | 10 | 0.851 |
| Other GPC | 3 | 3 | 0.376 |
| Other GPR | 5 | 3 | 0.705 |
| Gram-negative bacteria | |||
| Acinetobacter spp. | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Bacteroides spp. | 9 | 1 | 0.296 |
| Citrobacter spp. | 5 | 1 | 0.672 |
| Enterobacter cloacae complex | 14 | 11 | 0.179 |
| Escherichia coli | 57 | 23 | 0.792 |
| Haemophilus influenzae | 1 | 0 | - |
| Klebsiella spp. | 38 | 22 | 0.297 |
| Proteus spp. | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | 14 | 7 | 0.810 |
| Salmonella enterica | 1 | 2 | 0.223 |
| Serratia marcescens | 3 | 0 | - |
| Other GNC | 1 | 1 | 0.518 |
| Other GNR | 18 | 7 | 1 |
| Fungi | |||
| Candida spp. | 7 | 3 | 1 |
| Other fungi | 1 | 0 | - |