Educational intervention as an effective step for reducing blood culture contamination: a prospective cohort study. Issue 2 (October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Park, W.B.; Myung, S.J.; Oh, M.-d.; Lee, J.; Kim, N.-J.; Kim, E.-C.; Park, J.S.
• Is Part Of: Journal of hospital infection. Volume 91:Issue 2(2015)
• Page Start: 111
• Page End: 116
• Publication Date: 2015-10
• Subjects: Cross infection -- Periodicals; Cross infection -- Prevention -- Periodicals; Nosocomial infections -- Periodicals; Nosocomial infections -- Prevention -- Periodicals; Cross Infection -- Periodicals; Cross Infection -- prevention & control -- Periodicals; Infection Control -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 614.44
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2015.04.022
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0195-6701

Abstract

<abstract xml:lang="en" abstract-type="author" id="abs0010"> <title id="sectitle0010">Summary</title> <sec> <title id="sectitle0015">Background</title> <p id="abspara0010">Contaminated blood cultures lead to diagnostic challenges and place a burden on healthcare services.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sectitle0020">Aim</title> <p id="abspara0015">To determine the impact of introducing a clinical skills test (CST) as part of the medical licensing examination and an institutional education programme on the contamination rates of blood cultures.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sectitle0025">Methods</title> <p id="abspara0020">A prospective cohort study was conducted from 2009 through 2013 in all wards of a tertiary-care teaching hospital. We evaluated the effects of the CST, which was added to the National Medical Licensing Examination in Korea (KMLE) in 2010 and our institutional education programme, which began in 2013. The medical interns in charge of collection of blood for culture were divided in three groups with presence or absence of CST and the institutional education programme. The primary outcome was the percentage of blood cultures contaminated in each group, which were compared using the Poisson regression model. Participants' self-rated scores for the blood draw procedure were also analysed.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sectitle0030">Findings</title> <p id="abspara0025">Although introduction of the CST in the KMLE failed to reduce blood culture contamination rate (1.36% vs 1.35%; <italic>P</italic> = 0.734), the institutional education programme significantly reduced the contamination rate (1.35% vs 1.00%; <italic>P</italic> < 0.0001). Most participants answered that they always followed each step correctly except for waiting the recommended contact time after applying the antiseptic.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="sectitle0035">Conclusion</title> <p id="abspara0030">The educational intervention, not the introduction of CST in the KMLE, was effective in reducing overall contamination rates.</p> </sec> </abstract>