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. 2020 Sep;10(9):719–727. doi: 10.1542/hpeds.2020-0045

TABLE 3.

Blood and CSF Culture Organism and Time to Positivity

Overall, n (%) Time to Positivity, Median (IQR), h Time to Positivity Categories, n (%)
≤12 h >12–≤24 h >24–≤36 h >36–≤48 h >48–≤60 h >60–≤72 h >72 h
Blood culture time to positivity
 Pathogens, category of blood organism
  E coli 29 (39.2) 13.6 (12.0–20.6) 8 (27.6) 14 (48.3) 5 (17.2) 1 (3.4) 0 (0) 1 (3.4) 0 (0.0)
  Enterobacter 4 (5.4) 13.7 (12.7–15.8) 0 (0.0) 4 (100.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0)
  GBS 17 (23.0) 14.3 (12.6–20.5) 4 (23.5) 12 (70.6) 1 (5.9) 0 (0.0) 0 (0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0)
  Klebsiella 2 (2.7) 17.3 (12.7–22.0) 0 (0.0) 2 (100.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0)
  Staph aureus 9 (12.2) 19.4 (19.2–21.0) 0 (0.0) 9 (100.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0)
  Mixed 1 (1.4) 22.3 (22.3–22.3) 0 (0.0) 1 (100.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0)
  Other 12 (16.2) 21.9 (12.9–38.8) 3 (25.0) 4 (33.3) 2 (16.7) 2 (16.7) 0 (0) 0 (0.0) 1 (8.3)
 Contaminants, category of blood organism
  Staphylococcus species 104 (57.1) 26.2 (22.1–32.8) 0 (0.0) 39 (37.5) 44 (42.3) 12 (11.5) 2 (1.9) 6 (5.8) 1 (1.0)
  Streptococcus species 22 (12.1) 19.7 (16.0–27.8) 1 (4.5) 14 (63.6) 6 (27.3) 1 (4.5) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0)
  Mixed 32 (17.6) 20.6 (15.3–25.2) 1 (3.1) 20 (62.5) 7 (21.9) 2 (6.3) 1 (3.1) 1 (3.1) 0 (0.0)
  Other 24 (13.2) 34.1 (21.2–43.1) 0 (0.0) 8 (33.3) 6 (25.0) 6 (25.0) 2 (8.3) 1 (4.2) 1 (4.2)
CSF time to positivity (earliest notification of Gram-stain or Culture)a
 Pathogens, category of CSF organism
  GBSb 9 (40.9) 1.7 (1.1–3.4) 8 (88.9) 1 (11.1) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0) 0 (0.0)
   Staphylococcus speciesc 1 (4.5) 94.4 (94.4–94.4) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0) 1 (100.0)
  Otherd 12 (54.5) 20.5 (14.0–24.0) 3 (25.0) 6 (50.0) 1 (8.3) 1 (8.3) 1 (8.3) 0 (0) 0 (0.0)
 Contaminants, category of CSF organism
  Staphylococcus speciese 24 (47.1) 49.6 (19.7–62.5) 1 (4.2) 6 (25.0) 1 (4.2) 3 (12.5) 4 (16.7) 5 (20.8) 4 (16.7)
   Streptococcus speciesf 8 (15.7) 30.8 (17.2–34.0) 1 (12.5) 2 (25.0) 3 (37.5) 1 (12.5) 0 (0.0) 1 (12.5) 0 (0.0)
  Otherg 19 (37.3) 43.3 (28.9–90.5) 1 (5.3) 3 (15.8) 1 (5.3) 6 (31.6) 1 (5.3) 1 (5.3) 6 (31.6)
CSF positivity reflecting Gram-stain only
 Pathogens, category of CSF organism
  GBS 8 (80.0) 1.6 (1.0–2.7) 8 (100.0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0)
   Staphylococcus species 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0)
  Other 2 (20.0) 1.0 (0.7–1.3) 2 (100.0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0)
 Contaminants, category of CSF organism
   Staphylococcus species 1 (50.0) 6.6 (6.6–6.6) 1 (100.0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0)
   Streptococcus species 1 (50.0) 1.5 (1.5–1.5) 1 (100.0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0)
  Other 0 (0.0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0)
CSF positivity reflecting culture only
 Pathogens, category of CSF organism
  GBS 4 (25.0) 17.6 (15.2–22.5) 0 (0.0) 3 (75.0) 1 (25.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0) 0 (0.0)
   Staphylococcus species 1 (6.3) 94.4 (94.4–94.4) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0.0) 0 (0) 1 (100.0)
  Other 11 (68.8) 21.0 (18.7–39.8) 1 (9.1) 6 (54.5) 1 (9.1) 2 (18.2) 1 (9.1) 0 (0) 0 (0.0)
 Contaminants, category of CSF organism
   Staphylococcus species 23 (46.9) 50.8 (19.8–62.6) 0 (0.0) 6 (26.1) 1 (4.3) 3 (13.0) 4 (17.4) 5 (21.7) 4 (17.4)
   Streptococcus species 7 (14.3) 30.8 (21.2–37.0) 0 (0.0) 2 (28.6) 3 (42.9) 1 (14.3) 0 (0.0) 1 (14.3) 0 (0.0)
  Other 19 (38.8) 43.3 (28.9–90.5) 1 (5.3) 3 (15.8) 1 (5.3) 6 (31.6) 1 (5.3) 1 (5.3) 6 (31.6)

GBS, group B Streptococcus.

a

This reflects the minimum time to positivity time defined as the earliest notification of either a positive culture or the earliest notification of documented communication of Gram-stain positive for bacteria.

b

Category contains GBS.

c

Category contains Staphylococcus aureus.

d

Category contains E coli, E cloacae, E faecalis, K oxytoca, Klebsiella pneumoniae, moderate L Monocytogenes, Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae.

e

Category contains Staphylococcus coagulase negative, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus non-aureus.

f

Category contains α-hemolytic Streptococcus, nonhemolytic Streptococcus, Streptococcus mitis, Streptococcus viridans, Streptococcus anginosus, Streptococcus parasanguinis.

g

Category contains Acinetobacter species, aerobic Gram-positive rod, α-hemolytic Streptococcus, diphtheroids, α-hemolytic Streptococcus, mixed, multiple flora, organisms, α-hemolytic Streptococcus, Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus parainfluenzae, Bacillus species, Corynebacteria, Micrococcus, Peptostreptococcus, Propionibacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Alcaligenes species, bifidobacterium species from subculture only, Gram-positive coccobacilli, rare Streptococcus species (2 CFUs only),α-hemolytic Streptococcus, coryneform Gram-positive rods isolated from broth media only, Staphylococcus capitis subsp. capitis,Staphylococcus haemolyticus.