Skip Navigation
The Collection >
Contaminated or Not? Guidelines for Interpretation of Positive Blood Cultures AHRQ WebM&M icon
Weinstein MP. AHRQ WebM&M [serial online]. January 2008.
Blood culture results on a man with chronic health problems revealed Corynebacterium spp. One month later, the patient became ill, and cultures again revealed Corynebacterium. The physician who received the result was unfamiliar with the patient, assumed that this finding was a contaminant, and took no action. Three weeks later, the patient was admitted and diagnosed with subacute bacterial endocarditis.
Free full text icon indicating hyperlink to external website
white box
Related Resources
BOOK/REPORT
Why Current Breast Pathology Practices Must Be Evaluated.
Dallas, TX: Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; June 2006.
STUDY
Errors in a stat laboratory: changes in type and frequency since 1996.
Carraro P, Plebani M. Clin Chem. 2007;53:1338-42.
STUDY
Medical errors arising from outsourcing laboratory and radiology services.
Chasin BS, Elliott SP, Klotz SA. Am J Med. 2007;120:819.e9-11.
STUDY
Finding blunders in thyroid testing: experience in newborns.
Zilka LJ, Lott JA, Baker LC, Linard SM. J Clin Lab Anal. 2008;22:254-256.
View all related resources...
white box
Download: Adobe Reader   email icon Email
tan box
Find Related Resources by...
Resource Type   
style=
Target Audience  
style=
Clinical Area  
style=
Safety Target  
style=
Approach to Improving Safety  
white box