Blood Culture

Microbiology

Normal Reference Ranges

Adult

No growth Growth/No Growth

Pediatric

No growth Growth/No Growth

Clinical Significance

Gold standard for diagnosing bacteremia. Must be drawn from two different peripheral sites prior to antibiotic initiation to rule out contamination (e.g., Coag-negative Staph).

Causes of High

  • Bacteremia
  • Sepsis
  • Infective Endocarditis

Causes of Low

  • Normal finding