Analysis of strategies to improve cost effectiveness of blood cultures

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Zwang O, Albert RK.
J Hosp Med. 2006 Sep;1(5):272-6.
Denver Health Med Center, Denver CO

  • Positive predictive value of a positive blood culture was only 53%.
  • A 50% reduction in false positives would save approximately twice as much as a 50% reduction in false negatives.
  • Although only 6% of the blood cultures represented contaminants, their associated cost was more than twice that associated with the 87% that were true negatives.

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