Blood Culture (Aerobic)
- M4008
Rs 1045
- Why Get Tested?
To check for the presence of a systemic infection; to detect and identify bacteria or yeast in the blood - When To Get Tested?
When you have signs or symptoms of sepsis, which may include fever, chills, fatigue, rapid breathing and/or heart rate, and/or an elevated white blood cell count - Sample Type:Blood
- Fasting :NO
- Report Delivery:After 7 Days of Test Schedule
- Components:1 Observations
Tests Detail
| Observations Included |
| Blood Culture (Anaerobic) |
| The Test marked with (*) are in our NABL Scope. |
Sample Report
- Also Known As:
Blood Culture (bacterial, fungal and/or AFB) - Formal Name:
Culture, blood - Sample Instructions:
Two or more blood samples drawn from separate venipuncture sites, typically from different veins in your arms - Test Preparation Needed?
None - What Is Being Tested?
Blood cultures are procedures done to detect an infection in the blood and identify the cause. Infections of the bloodstream are most commonly caused by bacteria (bacteremia) but can also be caused by yeasts or other fungi (fungemia) or by a virus (viremia). Although blood can be used to test for viruses, this article focuses on the use of blood cultures to detect and identify bacteria and fungi in the blood. A blood infection typically originates from some other specific site within the body, spreading from that site when a person has a severe infection and/or the immune system cannot confine it to its source. For example, a urinary tract infection may spread from the bladder and/or kidneys into the blood and then be carried throughout the body, infecting other organs and causing a serious and sometimes life-threatening systemic infection. The terms septicemia and sepsis are sometimes used interchangeably to describe this condition. Septicemia refers to an infection of the blood while sepsis is the body's serious, overwhelming, and sometimes life-threatening response to infection. This condition often requires prompt and aggressive treatment, usually in an intensive care unit of a hospital. Other serious complications can result from an infection of the blood. Endocarditis, an inflammation and infection of the lining of the heart and/or of the heart valves, can result from a bloodstream infection. People who have prosthetic heart valves or prosthetic joints have a higher risk of a systemic infection following their surgery, although these infections are not common. Anyone with a weakened immune system due to an underlying disease, such as leukemia or HIV/AIDS, or due to immunosuppressive drugs such as those given for chemotherapy is at a higher risk for blood infections as their immune system is less capable of killing the microbes that occasionally enter the blood. Bacteria and yeasts may also be introduced directly into the bloodstream through intravenous drug - How Is It Used?
Blood cultures are used to detect the presence of bacteria or fungi in the blood, to identify the type present, and to guide treatment. Testing is used to identify a blood infection (septicemia) that can lead to sepsis, a serious and life-threatening complication. Individuals with a suspected blood infection are often treated in intensive care units, so testing is often done in a hospital setting. Although blood samples may be used to detect viruses, this article focuses on the use of blood cultures to detect and identify bacteria and fungi. Routine blood culture media cannot grow viruses and therefore cannot detect if the person tested has virus in their blood (viremia). Other related tests that may be performed include: Gram stain—a relatively quick test used to detect and identify the general type of bacteria present in other body sites, such as urine or sputum. A direct gram stain of blood is too insensitive to detect bacteria in the bloodstream. Susceptibility testing—determines the drug (antimicrobial) that may be most effective in treating the infection Often, a complete blood count (CBC) is ordered along with or prior to the blood culture to determine whether the person has an increased number of white blood cells (or in some cases, a decreased number of white blood cells), indicating a potential infection. Sometimes other testing is also performed, such as a chemistry panel to evaluate the health status of a person's organs, or a urine, sputum, or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture to help identify the source of the original infection. This is especially true when a person has symptoms associated with a urinary tract infection, pneumonia, or meningitis. - When Is It Ordered
A healthcare practitioner may order blood cultures when a person has signs and symptoms of sepsis, which indicates that bacteria, fungi, or their toxic by-products are causing harm in the body. A person with sepsis may have: Chills, fever Nausea Rapid breathing, rapid heartbeat Confusion Less frequent urination As the infection progresses, more severe symptoms may develop, such as: Inflammation throughout the body The formation of many tiny blood clots in the smallest blood vessels A dangerous drop in blood pressure The failure of one or more organs When a person has had a recent infection, surgical procedure, prosthetic heart valve replacement, or immunosuppressive therapy, the person is at a higher risk of a systemic infection and drawing blood cultures would be appropriate when an infection of the blood is suspected. Blood cultures are drawn more frequently in newborns and young children, who may have an infection but may not have the typical signs and symptoms of sepsis listed above. - What Does The Test Result Mean?
Two or more blood cultures that are positive for the same bacteria or fungi means that the person tested likely has a blood infection with that microbe. The results typically identify the specific bacteria or fungi causing the infection. Blood infections are serious and need to be treated immediately, usually in a hospital. Sepsis is a complication that can be life-threatening, especially in people with weakened immune systems. Healthcare practitioners who suspect sepsis may begin patients on intravenous broad spectrum antibiotics that are effective against a wide range of bacteria while waiting for the blood culture or susceptibility testing results. When results become available, the treatment may be changed to an antimicrobial agent that is more specific for the bacteria or fungi detected in the blood cultures. If one blood culture set is positive and one set is negative, it may mean that an infection or skin contaminant is present. The healthcare practitioner, usually the physician, will consider the person's clinical status and the type of bacteria or fungi found before making a diagnosis. Also, additional testing may be warranted in this case. Blood culture sets that are negative after several days (often reported as "no growth") mean that the probability that a person has a blood infection caused by bacteria or fungi is low. If symptoms persist, however, such as a fever that does not go away, additional testing may be required. A few reasons that symptoms may not resolve even though blood culture results are negative may include: Some microbes are more difficult to grow in culture, and additional blood cultures may be done to try to grow and identify the pathogen. Viruses cannot be detected using blood culture bottles designed to grow bacteria. If a viral infection is suspected as the cause of the person's symptoms, then other laboratory tests would need to be performed. The tests that would be ordered depend upon the person's clinical signs and t - Is There Anything Else I Should Known?
Because sepsis means that the bacteria or fungi have spread throughout the body, an affected person may experience many different symptoms of illness. As the immune system works to fight the infection, it produces many factors to kill the bacteria or fungi that can also make a person feel sick. Septicemia can cause a fall in blood pressure (shock), a rapid heart rate, and a decrease in blood flow to the brain, heart, and kidneys. It can also affect blood clotting factors, leading to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), which can cause generalized bleeding. Bacteria in the blood may also spread to the joints and cause septic arthritis. Recent innovations in blood culture testing have involved the development of testing methods that will quickly identify the microbes present once a blood culture is positive. Rapid tests are available that can detect several different types of bacteria that are commonly known to cause infections of the blood. They can identify types such as methicillin-resistant Staphylcoccus aureus (MRSA), which is typically difficult to treat, and gram negative rods such as E. coli that live in the gastrointestinal tract. Rapid identification can facilitate treatment with appropriate antibiotics. Medical researchers are also making progress on developing tests that will speed up the diagnosis-to-appropriate treatment time by: Identifying common pathogenic microbes directly from the blood (instead of or in addition to a blood culture) Helping to rule out sepsis by distinguishing between infection-positive inflammation and infection-negative inflammation More rapidly determining antibiotic susceptibilities (appropriate antibiotic treatment)
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