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. 1997 May;35(5):1290–1292. doi: 10.1128/jcm.35.5.1290-1292.1997

Four-day incubation period for blood culture bottles processed with the Difco ESP blood culture system.

G V Doern 1, A B Brueggemann 1, W M Dunne 1, S G Jenkins 1, D C Halstead 1, J C McLaughlin 1
PMCID: PMC232752  PMID: 9114430

Abstract

Blood culture records from 1994 to 1995 from five U.S. medical centers all using the Difco ESP continuous monitoring blood culture system were reviewed retrospectively. Among a total of 7,362 isolates of bacteria and yeasts, only 0.1% of possibly significant isolates would have been missed had blood cultures been routinely incubated for 4 days instead of the 5 days recommended by the manufacturer. Conversely, numerous contaminants, detected only on day 5, would have been eliminated by a 4-day incubation period.

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Selected References

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