Blood culture contamination with Enterococci and skin organisms: Implications for surveillance definitions of primary bloodstream infections.
Am J Infect Control. 2011 Jan 14;
Authors: Freeman JT, Chen LF, Sexton DJ, Anderson DJ
Enterococci are a common cause of bacteremia but are also common contaminants. In our institution, approximately 17% of positive blood cultures with enterococci are mixed with skin organisms. Such isolates are probable contaminants. The specificity of the current definition of primary bloodstream infection could be increased by excluding enterococci mixed with skin organisms.
PMID: 21239084 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]