Blood Culture, This Is What You Need to Know

Blood culture is a diagnostic examination method to detect microorganisms in the blood. Microorganisms can bacteria, mushrooms / strong> or parasites .

Under normal conditions, blood should be sterile from various microorganisms. If there are microorganisms in the blood and cause infection, this condition is called bacteremia or septicemia. If microorganisms continue to multiply and spread, and are not handled properly, the sufferer can experience sepsis which is an inflammatory reaction throughout the body.

Blood Culture, This Is What You Need to Know

Bacteremia which does not cause serious or undetectable symptoms, can heal by itself, especially bacteremia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae or Salmonella. However, if bacteremia is accompanied by a serious bacterial infection, such as pneumonia or meningitis, intensive treatment needs to be done. Bacteremia that is not treated properly can cause death.

The process of taking blood samples and examining blood cultures is quite simple. The doctor will examine the patient's blood sample in the laboratory.

Indications of Blood Culture

Blood culture tests will be recommended if bacteremia is suspected. Observable symptoms of bacteremia include:

  • Headache.
  • Lemas.
  • Shortness of breath.
  • Shivering.
  • Fever.
  • Heart pounding (palpitations).
  • Muscle pain.

If not treated properly, bacteremia can develop into sepsis which can be accompanied by damage to various organs in the body. Sepsis symptoms can be in the form of pre-existing bacteremia symptoms, plus the following symptoms:

  • Dizziness.
  • Nausea.
  • Speckled skin.
  • Decrease in blood pressure.
  • Decreased consciousness.
  • Urine production is reduced. Function of body organs decreases

Blood clots occur in many blood vessels. Blood culture is recommended for someone suspected of having bacteremia after surgery, undergoing heart valve surgery, or undergoing treatment with immunosuppressive drugs. Patients who have just undergone these medical procedures have a high risk of becoming sepsis. In addition, blood culture is also recommended for infants and children who are suspected of having an infection, although it does not cause any symptoms. Some other risk factors that also make a person more susceptible to bacteremia and are recommended to undergo blood culture procedures, including:

  • Suffering from diabetes.
  • Suffering from cancer.
  • Suffering from autoimmune disease.
  • Suffering from HIV or AIDS.

Blood Culture Warning

Blood sampling and blood culture procedures rarely cause serious side effects or complications. However, it should also be noted that some risks can occur, such as:

  • Infection.
  • Faint.
  • Hematoma, which is bleeding under the skin tissue.
  • Bleeding, especially if the patient has a blood clotting disorder or is taking blood-thinning medications, such as aspirin or warfarin.
  • In certain cases, venous vessels where blood samples are taken can experience swelling. This condition is called phlebitis .

Blood Culture Preparation

Generally patients who will undergo a blood culture test do not need special preparation. However, patients are required to notify their doctors about medications (especially antibiotics or antifungals) and dietary supplements that are being used because they are treated can affect blood culture results.

Blood Sampling Procedure

The initial step in taking blood samples is skin sterilization at the blood collection site. The location of blood sampling is generally the veins in the upper arm. The skin will be cleaned using an antiseptic to prevent infection and contamination of blood samples by bacteria. After that, the patient's arm will be tied so that the blood can gather in the vein and clarify the location of the vein to facilitate blood sampling.

The doctor will insert a sterile needle into the patient's vein, then put a small bottle to collect blood. So that the bacteria or fungi that infect the patient can be detected properly, the doctor will take blood samples from several locations in the body. In adults, the doctor will take blood samples at 2-3 locations. The doctor will also take several blood samples on different days so that the results of the diagnosis of blood culture are more accurate.

After the patient has taken blood, the blood sampling point is then closed using a special tape to prevent infection and stop bleeding. Blood samples are then taken to the laboratory for examination.

Blood Culture Check Procedure

Blood samples taken from the patient will be grown in a special medium, generally a liquid medium. Medium that has been added blood samples from patients will be stored in a special storage room to grow microorganisms that are thought to be in the blood. The length and condition of storing blood samples will vary depending on the type of bacteria you want to see. The average length of time for bacteria to multiply is 5 days, although some bacteria can take up to 4 weeks.

If the results of a person's blood culture show a positive result, which indicates the presence of bacteria in the blood, the doctor can test the bacterial resistance to antibiotics. The bacterial resistance test aims to determine the type of antibiotic that is most effective in eradicating the bacteria. Bacterial resistance tests are usually carried out for 24-48 hours.

If blood cultures from several samples show different results, for example, from an arm blood sample showing a positive result while from another part it is negative, it can be suspected that there is an infection of the skin or there is contamination in the sample. If blood cultures do not show any microbial growth for several days of incubation, blood culture can be said to give negative results. If the results of a blood culture test are negative but the symptoms of an infection persist, the doctor may recommend that the patient undergo additional tests to confirm infection.

Keep in mind that in order to detect viral infections using blood culture, special growth medium is needed which is different from the growing medium for bacteria or fungi. The doctor will recommend the patient to undergo another test if he is suspected of having a viral infection.

After Blood Culture

If the results of a blood culture test indicate an infection of microorganisms in the blood, the doctor will provide antibiotic or antifungal treatment according to the microbes that cause the infection. If the bacteria that cause the infection, the doctor will give broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment by injection. If a bacterial resistance test is known to be an effective type of antibiotic, the doctor will provide antibiotic treatment according to the results of the resistance test.

Label : Health cat_Health

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