Innovation for Reducing Blood Culture Contamination: Initial Specimen Diversion Technique

June 4, 2023/in BCC Literature

Patton RG, Schmitt T.
J Clin Microbiol. 2010 Dec;48(12):4501-3.
Northwest Hospital and Medical, Seattle, WA.

>0.5ml and <2ml is adequate diversion to significantly reduce contamination.
Initial specimen diversion technology reduced contamination of blood cultures by excluding contaminants from the first portion of the venipuncture-obtained culture specimen.