ArticleBMC microbiology2026
Blood culture diagnostics - a comparative and experimental study on the impact of delayed incubation.
Article in BMC microbiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Article
- Nanomaterial-nucleic acid probe synergy: accelerating rapid pathogen detection and antimicrobial susceptibility testing in bloodstream infections.Folia microbiologica · 2026Review
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5 authors.
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Abstract
objectivesThis study investigates the impact of transitioning from restricted to 24/7 access to blood culture cabinets on blood culture processing.
methodA post-hoc retrospective study and a prospective laboratory simulation to evaluate the effects of delayed incubation were conducted. Data analysis evaluated clinical data comparing incubation-to-detection (ITD) and Collection-to-detection (CTD) including Collection-to-incubation (CTI) comparing pre- and post-implementing the new protocol (Cut-point). ITD values were obtained using BD Synapsys™ software, with delays factored into CTD. Of 14,673 blood cultures collected from October 2019 to September 2023 at Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, 3,323 met inclusion criteria. Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pneumoniae were selected as indicator organisms. In the simulation, cultures with 0-, 6-, and 18-hour incubation delays were assessed for growth and detection time.
resultsMedian ITD increased significantly post-cut-point: for E. coli from 7.8(IQR: 2.28-13.55) to 11.4(IQR: 9.8-14.7) hours, S. aureus from 9.9(IQR: 4.1-15.6) to 14.3 h(IQR: 11.5-19.5), P. aeruginosa from 14.0(IQR 5.3-19.95) to 16.3 h(IQR 11.75-26.1), and S. pneumoniae from 3.3(IQR: 1.55-9.9) to 11.7 h(IQR: 9-12.6) (all p < 0.01). CTD decreased post-cut-point: by 3h03m for E. coli (p < 0.0001), 3h51m for S. aureus (p = 0.0016), and 4h24m for S. pneumoniae (p < 0.0001). The reduction for P. aeruginosa (1h48m) was not statistically significant. In the simulation-study, delayed incubation increased CTD for all species in aerobic bottles: E. coli (p = 0.0036), S. aureus (p = 0.0036), P. aeruginosa (p = 0.0036), and S. pneumoniae (p = 0.0429); and in anaerobic bottles: E. coli (p = 0.0036), S. aureus (p = 0.0036), and S. pneumoniae (p = 0.0071). No anaerobic growth of P. aeruginosa was observed. An 18-hour delay notably reduced recovery of S. pneumoniae, with growth detected in only one bottle.
conclusionMinimizing incubation delays significantly reduces CTD and improves detection of fragile bacteria. These findings potentially have significant implications for clinical practice, emphasizing the importance of protocols that limit pre-analytical delays to optimize blood culture diagnostics.
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