STAND-ALONE BEDSIDE PROCEDURE PATHWAY
Blood cultures
Right patient, right volume, separate sites, before antibiotics without harmful delay
Indications
- Sepsis/septic shock, endocarditis or deep/endovascular infection
- Fever in high-risk immunocompromise or implanted intravascular material
- Specific syndromes where bloodstream pathogen identification changes treatment
Stop / escalate
- Do not culture routine low-risk fever without a clinical question
- Never collect only through an existing line unless catheter infection is being assessed
- Do not delay urgent antibiotics to obtain a technically perfect sample
Illustrated step sequence
Samples / technical essentials
- Usually at least two separate peripheral sets for suspected bloodstream infection
- Paired peripheral + each relevant line lumen when catheter infection is suspected
- Three appropriately timed sets may be requested for stable suspected endocarditis; do not delay treatment if unstable
Aftercare and complications
- Document antibiotics already given and culture source
- Act immediately on significant Gram stain/positive result; repeat clearance cultures for S. aureus/candida and as advised
- Interpret organism, number of positive bottles, time-to-positivity, prosthetic material and syndrome together
Supervised clinician education. Use the current local checklist, competency standard, consent policy, infection-control procedure and escalation route. This pathway does not certify procedural competence.