
USF Health’s IDPodcasts
What To Do With a Positive Blood Culture
Dr. Richard Oehler, Professor of Medicine at the Division of Infectious Diseases/USF Morsani College of Medicine, presents a review of bacteremia. Dr. Oehler begins by reviewing the epidemiology, personal and institutional costs of bacteremia. He then discusses blood culture collection and how false positive blood cultures occur. Next, Dr. Oehler reviews automated blood culture systems and multiplex PCR and MALDI-TOF technology. The speaker then contrasts gram positive and gram negative bacteremia in general and by organism. The management of a positive blood culture with regard to treatment and source control is discussed. Lastly, ways to reduce the incidence of bacteremia are shared.

