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Trends in Blood Culture Contamination: A College of American Pathologists Q-Tracks Study of 356 Institutions

Context.-Blood culture contamination extends hospital stays and increases the cost of care.

Objectives.-To measure blood culture contamination rates in a large number of institutions over time and to elucidate practice patterns and demographic factors associated with sustained reduction in contamination rates.

Design.-Longitudinal cohort study of 356 clinical laboratories that provided quarterly data about blood culture results, using a uniform definition of contamination. Mixed linear model analysis of the 1999 through 2003 data set.

Results.-Blood culture contamination was significantly higher in institutions that used nonlaboratory personnel to collect blood (P = .03) and significantly ...

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