Procedure, Purpose, and Risks of Blood Culture

A blood culture is a test that involves checking the presence of pathogens such as yeast and bacteria in the blood. The condition where foreign invaders have infected the blood is known as bacteremia. A positive blood culture indicates the presence of bacteria in the blood. Most sources of a blood infection start from the gastrointestinal tract, skin, urine, or lungs.

Steps for Proper Blood Culture Collection

How Long Do You Wait for Blood Culture Results?

A blood culture with bacteria’s presence takes about two to three days for the results to show. However, some bacteria types can take up to ten days. Fungus takes longer than bacteria and can show up in the culture after 30 days.

Purpose of Blood Culture

Doctors order a blood culture if they suspect a patient has a blood infection. Blood is tested for infection to avoid any complications such as sepsis. A blood infection can affect the immune system and damage the body organs. Pathogens in the blood produce toxins that prevent the body from working normally. After the test results, the doctor determines a particular bacteria or organism in the blood and how to combat it.

Symptoms of Blood Infection

If the blood culture is positive, the patient can experience several symptoms, including;

Potential Risks of a Blood Culture

Complications experienced by patients only occur after they give blood. However, drawing blood for blood culture is a routine process; hence, severe side effects hardly occur. Risks that can occur after giving a blood sample include;

A blood culture test is done on several patients each year. Doctors should ensure that the blood culture kits are clean to avoid contaminating the blood sample. Again, experienced medical practitioners should carry out the procedure to avoid any potential risks of blood culture. Anyone experiencing any symptoms of blood infection should see a doctor sooner.

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