Blood culture contamination in a regional New South Wales hospital: a 6-month audit

Key Points

• To evaluate blood culture contamination rates at a regional hospital in New South Wales and compare them to established benchmarks.
• Conducted a 6-month audit of blood culture contamination rates in a regional hospital
• Compared the contamination rates with recognised benchmarks
• Assessed the implications on healthcare costs and antibiotic usage
• Identified contamination rates exceeding recognised benchmarks
• Demonstrated potential for extended hospital stays due to contamination
• Highlighted unnecessary antibiotic use and associated healthcare costs