FOI_7659

Internal Reference Number: FOI_7659

Date Request Received: 10/01/2024 00:00:00

Date Request Replied To: 06/02/2024 00:00:00

This response was sent via: By Email

Request Summary: Blood Contamination

Request Category: Companies


Question Number 1: Prior to blood culture collection, what skin asepsis solution does your hospital/Trust/Health Board use in the skin preparation/ cleaning process - (a) licensed skin antisepsis applicator (b) licensed skin disinfection wipe (c) non licensed wipe (d) other?

Answer To Question 1: B

Question Number 2: How long do you clean the patient’s skin for and what technique is used?

Answer To Question 2: No specific timeframe in policy. Advised to do thoroughly in policy.

Question Number 3: How long does your organisation allow the patients skin to dry before blood culture collection?

Answer To Question 3: No specific time frame - just allow to dry.

Question Number 4: Do you know the percentage of contamination rate of blood cultures in your organisation?

Answer To Question 4: Yes, a contamination audit is carried out. Contamination rates historically. No current data available for 2019 - 2024 - this would take in excess of 18 hours to collate. Exemption notice attached for current data. 2012-13: 4.07% 2013-14: 4.29% 2014-15: 4.51% 2015-16: 4.82% 2016-17: 4.49% 2017-18: 4.85% 2018-19: 4.37%

Question Number 5: What is the management process following a confirmed blood sample contamination. Is it escalation to (a) infection control team (b) microbiology (c) education and development (d) other, please specify or (e) no process?

Answer To Question 5: B. Microbiology: Each culture is analysed by the microbiology consultant on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the microbiological findings, the clinical details and information from the clinicians involved. In some cases the blood cultures will obviously be a contaminant and advice given to the team accordingly, however, in most cases, identification is required to be sure that an isolate is indeed a contaminant. Again, advice will be given to the team accordingly.

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