OBJECTIVE: Blood culture remains the gold standard for diagnosing bloodstream infections. Clinical laboratories must ensure the quality of blood culture processes from receipt to obtaining definitive results. We examined laboratory analytical indicators associated with positive blood culture results. METHODS: Blood cultures collected from Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022, were retrospectively analyzed. The mode of transportation (piping logistics delivery vs. staff), source of blood cultures (outpatient/emergency department vs. inpatient department), rotation of personnel, and time of reception (8:00-19:59 vs. 20:00-07:59) were compared between blood culture-positive and -negative results. RESULTS: Between 2020 and 2022, the total positive rate of blood culture was 8.07%. The positive rate of blood cultures in the outpatient/emergency department was significantly higher than that in the inpatient department (12.46% vs. 5.83%; P < 0.0001). The time-to-detection of blood cultures was significantly affected by the delivery mode and personnel rotation. The blood culture positive rate of the total pre-analytical time within 1 h was significantly higher than that within 1-2 h or > 2 h ( P < 0.0170). CONCLUSION Laboratory analytical indicators such as patient source, transportation mode, and personnel rotation significantly impacted the positive detection rate or time of blood culture.
Blood Culture/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data*

OBJECTIVES: Bloodstream infections in emergency patients have a high incidence, severe disease progression, and rapid deterioration. Early administration of appropriate antimicrobial agents is crucial for improving patient outcomes. This study aims to investigate the incidence, pathogen distribution, and antimicrobial resistance patterns of bloodstream infections in emergency patients, providing a reference for rational antibiotic use in clinical practice. METHODS: Medical records of patients diagnosed with bloodstream infections in the emergency department of a hospital in Hunan Province between January 2018 and October 2022 were retrospectively collected. Clinical characteristics of bloodstream infection patients were analyzed, and the distribution trends and antimicrobial susceptibility of clinical isolates were examined. RESULTS: During the study period, 2 215 blood culture samples were submitted from the emergency department, with a positivity rate of 13.27%. After excluding eight cases with missing data or suspected contamination, 286 patients with bloodstream infections were included, with community-acquired infections accounting for the majority (85.66%). The most common primary infection site was the urinary tract (24.48%), followed by respiratory tract infections (20.28%) and biliary and intra-abdominal infections (17.13%). The 30-day mortality rate of bloodstream infections was 16.08%. A total of 286 pathogens were isolated, including 181 (63.29%) Gram-negative bacteria, primarily Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa; 101 (35.31%) Gram-positive bacteria, mainly Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae; and only 4 (1.40%) fungal isolates. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that the key Enterobacteriaceae strains exhibited resistance rates of 2.4% to carbapenems, 16.3% to piperacillin sodium and tazobactam sodium, and 15.3% to ceftazidime, with no detected resistance to tigecycline or polymyxins. The main non-fermentative bacteria showed resistance rates of 29.6% to piperacillin sodium and tazobactam sodium, 13.3% to cefoperazone sodium and sulbactam sodium, and 27.1% to quinolones. Among Gram-negative bacteria, multidrug-resistant strains accounted for 40.9% (74/181), with carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae detected in 5.4% (5/92) and 13.6% (6/44) of cases, respectively. No carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa was identified. Among Gram-positive bacteria, resistance rates to penicillin G, rifampicin, and cefoxitin were 74.7%, 4.2%, and 50%, respectively, with only 3 cases of resistant to glycopeptide antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS Bloodstream infections in emergency patients are predominantly community-acquired, with Gram-negative bacteria being the most common pathogens. The isolated pathogens exhibited relatively low resistance rates to commonly used clinical antibiotics.
Retrospective Studies ; Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data* ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use* ; Incidence ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests/statistics & numerical data* ; Bacteremia/microbiology* ; Community-Acquired Infections/microbiology* ; Gram-Negative Bacteria/isolation & purification* ; Blood Culture/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; Male ; Female ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; China/epidemiology*