Blood cultures are a test sent from unwell patients with serious infections that are used to detect if bacteria are present in their blood. Blood taken from patients is taken to a laboratory where any bacteria that are present are grown, or ‘cultured’.
These blood cultures help find the cause of the infection and guide treatment. However, not every patient undergoes this test. We want to understand what factors in the hospital influence the decision to order a blood culture test.
We aim to do this by looking at which patient features, such as details of the current illness, medical history, or laboratory results, impact whether a blood culture is ordered. We will also investigate how hospital factors influence if blood cultures are taken such as a patient’s location in the hospital, the time of day, and how busy the hospital is.
By better understanding the results of the research, we hope to improve decision-making, ensuring blood cultures are ordered when needed and make a difference to guiding patient treatment and improving patient health outcomes.