Journal of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

en Evaluating the Efficacy of Training and Education on Lowering Blood Culture Contamination Rates in a Tertiary Care Hospital Infectious diseases and public health Infectious diseases and public health Original article Original article Introduction: Blood culture remains the gold standard for diagnosing bloodstream infections. Contamination during the collection, transport, or processing of blood culture samples can obscure the true pathogens with contaminant growth, thereby complicating or delaying the diagnosis of bacteremia. This study assesses the effectiveness of an educational intervention aimed at reducing blood culture contamination rates in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This single-center study, aimed at quality improvement, included two phases: an observational phase from December 2022 to February 2023, and an interventional phase from March to May 2023. During the interventional phase, healthcare workers underwent comprehensive training in aseptic blood sample collection techniques. The study involved 980 patients, with 470 blood samples collected during the observational phase (December 2022–February 2023) and 510 during the interventional phase (March–May 2023), all processed using standard microbiological techniques. Blood cultures yielding commensal organisms without corresponding clinical symptoms were classified as contaminants. Results: The contamination rate of blood cultures dropped from 12.1% (57/470) during the observational phase to 8.6% (44/510) post-intervention; however, this reduction was not statistically significant (P = 0.34, chi-square test). Contamination rates during the observational phase were highest in the ward at 16.2%, followed by 13% in the outpatient department, and lowest in the intensive care unit at 7.1%. The predominant contaminants identified were Staphylococcus hominis, followed by Staphylococcus haemolyticus, highlighting common sources of contamination. Conclusion: Although the educational intervention did not yield a statistically significant decrease in blood culture contamination rates, the study underscores the need for multifaceted strategies, including enhanced training, environmental controls, and standardized protocols, to meet international benchmarks for contamination control.   Blood culture contamination, Observational phase, Interventional phase, Quality improvement, Healthcare education 57 65 http://jommid.pasteur.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-535-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Wanshisha Wanswett 0009-0007-4773-6145 No Department of Microbiology, Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER), New Delhi, India Sheetal Goenka 0000-0001-8033-8391 No Department of Microbiology, Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER), New Delhi, India Manisha Jain manisha_jain29@yahoo.com 0009-0007-4773-6145 Yes Department of Microbiology, Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER), New Delhi, India Poonam Loomba 0000-0002-5580-5733 No Department of Microbiology, Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER), New Delhi, India Abha Sharma 0000-0002-6976-3853 No Department of Microbiology, Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER), New Delhi, India Shivani Tyagi 0000-0002-1276-0133 No Department of Microbiology, Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (GIPMER), New Delhi, India