Significance of Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus Species in Blood Culture 632-635
Correspondence
Sapna Malik
C 1201, Jal Vayu Vihar, A.D.S. Marg,
Powai, Mumbai, India 400076.
E-mail: sapnawadhwan@hotmail.com
A retrospective study was carried out from August 2009 to July 2010 to evaluate the rate of contamination in the blood cultures in a tertiary care hospital. A total number of 755 samples were tested for blood culture, 18% of these samples were labeled as contaminants; however, on further scrutiny, this was reduced to 16%. Determining whether a growth in the blood culture is a pathogen or a contaminant is a critical issue and multiple parameters have to be considered before arriving at a conclusion. Without a gold standard for truly distinguishing the contaminants from the true pathogens, it becomes inherently difficult to interpret the results and to institute preventive measures.