Getting infected with bacteria is becoming more common these days, and it can seriously affect your life. Hence, the detection of these foreign invaders like bacteria, yeast, and microorganisms in your blood is done with a blood test called Blood Culture test. It is a test through which pathogens in the bloodstream can be detected. If the results are positive for the blood culture test, you have pathogens in your blood.
When the pathogens enter your bloodstream, they can spread in the entire body and hence infect you critically. It can infect your internal and external organs, including the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and lungs. Once the infection starts spreading in your body, your immune system may not be able to contain it, and it becomes systemic, known as sepsis.
Blood culture begins with drawing blood from the patient, and then it is made to go through the procedure to check if you are infected.
Purpose Of The Test
Your doctor may recommend you for a blood culture when he is suspicious that you have a blood infection. If the pathogens are in your bloodstream, they can make your immune system weaker, rendering your body defenseless; therefore, it is important to take this test to detect them.
Also, these pathogens in your bloodstream can release toxins that cause serious damage to the internal organs. The purpose of recommending you to have a blood culture is to identify the type of organism or bacteria causing the infection. After successfully detecting the pathogen, the best combat medication and treatment can be provided.
Test Procedure
The procedure of the culture test of blood begins like every other blood test by cleaning the puncture site using a ChloraPrep wipe. Avoid palpating the cleaned skin and apply a tourniquet. Prepare the blood culture bottles by removing caps, cleaning them with another ChloraPrep wipe, and leaving for 15 seconds. Further steps involved with the test procedure are given as follows.
- By placing traction on the skin, insert the needle with a 30-degree angle into the puncture site and advance the needle to collect the blood sample. Then, attach the bottle and get the necessary blood levels in each level, and immediately invert the bottles after removing them. Every bottle must contain at least 10 ml of blood. Prefer filling in the aerobic bottle before any other as it can contain any residual air from the needle.
- Once the culture bottles are filled with the required blood, the tourniquet is released, and the puncture site is covered with pressure using cotton. Withdrawal of the needle used to draw blood is done carefully to avoid uncontrolled blood flow from the puncture site.
- There is a setup of two blood culture bottles prepared with different conditions. One is going to be aerobic, while the other one is anaerobic. The one with an aerobic setup contains nutrient broth, while the anaerobic culture bottle contains nutrient broth with sodium thioglycolate, which acts as a reducing agent.
- Both setups are prepared to check the growth of any particular type of yeast or bacteria growth. After adding your blood samples to the two different culture bottles, both bottles are kept under observation in the laboratory setup. There will be bacteria or yeast growth (if any) in one or both the culture bottles after leaving the samples for around 24 hours.
- There is a need for the detection of particular types of bacteria causing infection in your blood. Therefore, it is considered ideal to keep the samples in a laboratory setup for around 48-72 hours so that the pathogen-causing infection grows massively and its type can be identified properly.
- After the complete growth of the bacteria in the prepared setup, a sensitivity test is performed. It is required to identify the sensitivity of various drugs to the growth of bacteria.
It is important to add the right amount of every element in the blood culture bottles, as inappropriate amounts of any of the ingredients can lead to variations. Also, with the wrong results, the patient may be given the wrong medications, and it can lead to serious, and sometimes life-threatening, dangers to the patient. After the successful completion of the blood culture test procedure, the results are to be found.
Results
Results from the tests must be examined properly to check if the patient has an infection. Therefore, close attention must be paid to the test results in a below-given manner.
If all the culture, subculture, and gram stain smears are negative, it is assumed that the test results are negative and the patient does not have any infection in the bloodstream. Also, the negative results are announced after 4-5 days of incubation of samples, as 48-72 hours of growth is needed to identify the organisms. Moreover, anaerobic bacteria take longer to grow, making the result announcement take longer.
If the culture blood test is positive, the doctor may administer some antibiotic injections to treat the infection. Basic antibiotics are used to combat a diverse range of bacterial infections in your bloodstream.
Also Read: 5 Important Blood Tests You Need Every Year
Things To Consider
There are some very crucial things that a doctor has to keep in mind while performing the blood culture test procedure and announcing results. If the first bottle shows growth and the second tube (anaerobic) shows negative signs, there is contamination in the bloodstream. When there is bacteria growth in both the culture tubes, it indicates bacteremia.
Also, if the patient has been going through other treatments involving the intake of antibiotics, it must be informed to the doctor as it can lead to variations in blood culture test results. Also, before you take the test, make sure to find out the blood culture test price, as it can vary from location to location.
Blood Culture Test for Other Conditions
Blood culture is designed to identify infection from bacteria and yeast in the bloodstream, but it can also be used to identify several other conditions. Endocarditis is one such condition that can be detected in the early stages with a blood culture test normal range for infection. In this condition, the bloodstream caused by bacteria sticks to the heart valves and can pose some life-threatening dangers to the patient.
Potential Risks of Blood Culture Test
The complication and risks of culture tests for blood may occur when the patient is giving blood. Under normal conditions, there is rarely any complexity caused by blood withdrawal from patients. But, some of the most common complications that one can experience are excessive bleeding, fainting, bleeding under the skin, and infection. Therefore, blood must be drawn under the supervision of a medical professional in a hospital or laboratory.
The Bottom Line
Regardless of the blood test or treatment, it is necessary to be taken in authorized healthcare premises; otherwise, it can be lethal. If you experience any complications from a blood infection, it is important to take the blood culture test as soon as possible after consulting with a doctor.
It is important to inform the doctor if the puncture site has become red or swollen. There can be pain on the puncture site after drawing blood for several hours. If the pain remains for longer than several hours or a day, ensure to see a healthcare professional as soon as possible.
Infections caused due to bacteria can lead to serious health issues. These infections can pose serious threats to your life, and hence, it is important to get tested. Get in touch with Agilus Diagnostics to book an appointment to know about the blood culture test price and get the right treatment for your infection.
Agilus Diagnostics, a subsidiary of Fortis Healthcare Limited
