Journal of clinical microbiology
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J. Clin. Microbiol. · Dec 2016
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyChlorhexidine versus Tincture of Iodine for Reduction of Blood Culture Contamination Rates: a Prospective Randomized Crossover Study.
Blood cultures (BCs) are the standard method for diagnosis of bloodstream infections (BSIs). However, the average BC contamination rate (CR) in U. S. hospitals is 2.9%, potentially resulting in unnecessary antibiotic use and excessive therapy costs. ⋯ Of 2,965 BCs obtained using CH, 327 (11.03%) were positive and 115 (3.88%) were contaminated. The rates of contaminated BCs were not statistically significant between the two antiseptic agents (P = 1.0). We conclude that CH and IT are equivalent agents for blood culture skin antisepsis.