Blood culture
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Blood culture
A blood culture is a test on a sample of blood to check for bacteria in the bloodstream; it may be done if a doctor suspects a blood infection. A blood culture may be helpful in determining the specific bacteria causing an infection and selecting the appropriate antibiotic to treat it.
Usually a blood culture is needed only if a person is severely ill. Blood cultures are commonly done when a person has a high fever or shaking chills that indicate there may be bacteria in the blood.
It usually takes between 1 and 3 days to get the results of a blood culture; however, it can take as long as 7 to 10 days.
Credits
| Author | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Editor | Maria Essig |
| Associate Editor | Tracy Landauer |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Joseph O'Donnell, MD - Hematology/Oncology |
| Last Updated | September 12, 2008 |
| Last updated: | September 12, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Author: | Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS |
| Reviewed By: | Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine, Joseph O'Donnell, MD - Hematology/Oncology |
| Editors: | Maria Essig, Tracy Landauer |
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