Abstract Background: In 2024, US hospitals were affected by the Becton Dickinson (BD) BACTEC blood culture bottle shortage with little time to respond and conserve supply. The extent of the impact of this shortage on clinical practice has not been explored. Methods: We developed a 7-question online poll with the Emerging Infections Network (EIN) exploring the extent to which facilities were impacted by the shortage, the geographic location and facility type of institutions affected, the actions taken to mitigate the shortage, and the impact on clinical management of fever and Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. The link was sent to >3,100 EIN listserv members 3 times during September 2024. Descriptive and thematic analyses were performed on quantitative and qualitative responses. Results: Of 202 respondents from 39 states, 129 said their hospital had limited blood cultures available, 8 were unsure how their hospitals were affected, and 65 indicated their hospitals were not affected. Top mitigation strategies included publishing algorithms for best practice use, restricting follow-up blood cultures, using single blood culture sets, and implementing EMR-based alerts on blood culture orders. Important clinical themes identified by affected respondents included limitations on blood culture use, concerns with overall treatment and care, concerns with bacteremia management, and increased diagnostic stewardship opportunities. Conclusion: The BD BACTEC blood culture bottle shortage caused widespread clinical impact. The themes identified highlight the challenges placed on healthcare systems during times of shortage as well as the effects on patient care. Mitigation strategies implemented during the shortage may create future opportunities for diagnostic stewardship.
Green et al. (Wed,) studied this question.