Journal of infection and chemotherapy : official journal of the Japan Society of Chemotherapy
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J. Infect. Chemother. · Jun 2009
Usefulness of initial blood cultures in patients admitted with pneumonia from an emergency department in Japan.
Guidelines recommend obtaining blood cultures for all patients admitted with pneumonia. However, recent American studies have reported the low impact of these cultures on antibiotic therapy. Our aim was to investigate the incidence of bacteremia and change of therapy in admitted pneumonia patients from whom blood cultures were obtained in the emergency department (ED). ⋯ Considering cost and workload, the overall total annual cost was
758 631 ( 107 = 1 $US in June 2008). Blood cultures could identify organisms in only a few patients with pneumonia and rarely altered antibiotic management even in patients with positive cultures. It may not be necessary to obtain blood cultures for patients admitted with pneumonia.