Why is this procedure done?
A blood culture is a test done to find germs that may be spreading through the blood. Germs from infected parts of your body can travel into your blood. Another name for an infection in the blood is sepsis. Your doctor may order this test to: � �
- Find what type of germ is causing your infection
- Find the cause of an unexplained fever, illness, or fatigue
- Help choose the best antibiotics to kill the germs
- See if your drugs are treating your infection
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What will the results be?
- The doctor will look at the results of your test. The doctor will know if you have an infection in your blood that needs treatment.
- If the results are normal or negative, it means you likely do not have an infection caused by a bacteria or yeast. Sometimes the doctors will say the culture has "no growth. " �
- If the results are not normal or positive, you may have an infection caused by a bacteria or yeast.
- Your doctor may order another test. This will help check a result that is not normal or to learn more about a diagnosis.
- The doctor will talk with you about treatment.
- If you are extremely ill, the doctor may start treatment before the test results are back. Once the blood culture results are available, the doctor may change your treatment.
What happens before the procedure?
- There are no special things to do before the test.
- Talk to your doctor about:
- All the drugs you are taking
- Any bleeding problems
- The places you have traveled recently
- If you have been around others who are sick
- Any high risk behaviors like drug use or unprotected sex
What happens during the procedure?
- It will only take a few minutes to have this test. You will be awake the whole time.
- The lab tech will carefully cleanse the skin around the vein where the blood is taken.
- You will have a small amount of blood taken from you with a needle. You may have a small amount of pain. The needle will be taken out and a bandage will be put on your skin.
- The blood will go into a bottle or tube partly filled with other fluids. These are sent to the lab and kept in a special setting. Over a day or two, if there are any germs in your blood, the germs will grow and increase. Then, the lab tech will collect some of them and look at them with a microscope. Often, the lab tech adds antibiotics to see which ones fight the germs best.
- Your doctor may want to have two samples of blood taken, one from each arm. Sometimes a blood sample is taken from your I.V. line.
What happens after the procedure?
- You may want to sit quietly for a few minutes before standing up. This will help keep you from feeling dizzy after the test.
- Ask your doctor when you will get the results. They will take at least 1 to 3 days.
What care is needed at home?
You may do your everyday activities when you get back home. � �
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. This test will help your doctor understand if you have an infection in your blood. Together you can make a plan for more care. � �
What problems could happen?
- Pain
- Bleeding
- Bruising
- Feeling dizzy
- Infection
Where can I learn more?
American Association for Clinical Chemistry � �
http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/blood-culture/tab/faq � �
KidsHealth � �
http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/sick/labtest3.html � �
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. � �
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Copyright � � 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. � �