Clinicians: Use this guide to decrease blood culture contamination rates

Optimize multidisciplinary quality improvement efforts

Improve the collection of blood culture specimens

In July 2022, CDC developed a NEW implementation resource [PDF - 3 Pages] to assist antibiotic stewardship and infection control programs working with microbiology laboratories in designing and implementing interventions that decrease blood culture contamination rates. Blood cultures are important diagnostic tools for identifying the pathogen(s) responsible for a patient’s infection. However, blood culture contamination can compromise quality of care and lead to unnecessary antibiotic exposure and prolonged length of hospitalization. Blood culture contamination data provided by microbiology laboratories can assist clinicians in reducing contamination rates. Clinicians can use this resource to optimize multidisciplinary quality improvement efforts to decrease blood culture contamination and improve the collection of blood culture specimens. For additional hospital implementation resources, click here. For more information on improving antibiotic prescribing and use, visit www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use.

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