Obtaining blood cultures by venipuncture versus from central lines: impact on blood culture contamination rates and potential effect on central line-associated bloodstream infection reporting

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Boyce JM, Nadeau J, Dumigan D, Miller D, Dubowsky C, Reilly L, Hannon CV.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2013 Oct;34(10):1042-7.
Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut

  • Evaluated the impact of a new blood culture policy that discouraged drawing blood samples from central lines.
  • The proportion of blood samples obtained for culture from central lines decreased from 10.9% to 0.4%.
  • The proportion of blood cultures that were contaminated decreased from 84 (1.6%) of 5,274 to 21 (0.5%) of 4,245.
  • Based on estimated excess hospital costs of $3,000 per contaminated blood culture, the reduction in CBCs yielded an estimated annualized savings of $378,000 in 2012 when compared to 2010.
  • In mid-2010, 3 (30%) of 10 reported CLABSIs were suspected contamination compared with none of 6 CLABSIs reported from mid-November 2010 through June 2012.

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