A Little Goes a Long Way: Pediatric Bloodstream Infections and Blood Culture Practices

Abstract

Unlike adult blood cultures, pediatric blood culture practices are less clear-cut. The various existing guidelines differ on blood collection volume and culture conditions due to the unique characteristics of pediatric blood culture, such as the potential for increased contamination and low blood volume. There are some specialized products marketed for pediatric populations to address these issues, including initial specimen diversion devices and low-volume blood culture bottles. However, there are scant studies looking at their effectiveness. This review discusses the current epidemiology of pediatric bacteremia, the most recently published evidence for the pediatric blood culture practices, and where technology may be going in the future for detection of pediatric bloodstream infections.