{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T01:34:51Z","timestamp":1760146491662,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,4]],"date-time":"2024-11-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1730678400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Antibiotics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objectives: The aims of this study were to evaluate the efficacy of a five-bundle intervention and to decrease the number of cases in which only one set of blood cultures is collected prior to starting antimicrobials. Methods: The study group consisted of the two hospital wards that have the highest collection rate (120 blood cultures\/1000 patient days and 121.4 blood cultures\/1000 patient days, respectively), and the control group consisted of the other three adult wards. The collection protocol was changed, and a bundle of five measures was introduced: one-on-one discussions with the nurses, 2% chlorhexidine in 70% alcohol for disinfection, ensuring the use of sterile gloves, sterile wipes, a checklist for the materials needed, and a copy of the collection protocol. The impact of these changes was followed over a 5-month period. Results: Prior to the intervention, the contamination rate was higher in the control group (6.5%) versus the study group (4%), p = 0.00578. The before\u2013after analysis revealed a significantly reduced contamination rate in the control group (4.6% vs. 6.5% p = 0.0099), but it was above the one obtained in the study group (3.1% vs. 4%, p = 0.1635). The number of infectious episodes in which one blood culture set was collected decreased significantly in the study group (77\/311 vs. 139\/456, p = 0.041). Conclusions: The intervention decreased the contamination rate and the number of infectious episodes in which one blood culture set is collected.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/antibiotics13111040","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,4]],"date-time":"2024-11-04T03:57:34Z","timestamp":1730692654000},"page":"1040","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["A Five-Bundle Intervention to Improve Blood Culture Use in a Tertiary Hospital in Romania"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3922-723X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alina-Ioana","family":"Popa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, \u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"\u201cProf. Dr. Matei Bal\u0219\u201d National Institute for Infectious Diseases, 021105 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Daniela","family":"T\u0103l\u0103pan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, \u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"\u201cProf. Dr. Matei Bal\u0219\u201d National Institute for Infectious Diseases, 021105 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gabriel-Adrian","family":"Popescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, \u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"\u201cProf. Dr. Matei Bal\u0219\u201d National Institute for Infectious Diseases, 021105 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,11,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1181","DOI":"10.1007\/s00134-021-06506-y","article-title":"Surviving Sepsis Campaign: International Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2021","volume":"47","author":"Evans","year":"2021","journal-title":"Intensive Care Med."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"547","DOI":"10.7326\/M19-1696","article-title":"Blood Culture Results Before and After Antimicrobial Administration in Patients with Severe Manifestations of Sepsis: A Diagnostic Study","volume":"171","author":"Cheng","year":"2019","journal-title":"Ann. 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