Improving the NHS Blood Culture Pathway in England
Bloodstream infections (BSI) are common and cause severe disease and death. Blood cultures are used to identify whether patients have a bacterial or fungal BSI and assess whether the microbe will be resistant to any antimicrobial therapies (AMTs) helping clinicians to prescribe AMTs to patients who truly need them. NHS England’s blood culture audit indicated low adherence to best practice guidelines and trusts have raised concerns regarding the resource implications of achieving compliance.