Blood Culture Collection Best Practices for Laboratory Professionals

Blood Culture Collection Best Practices for Laboratory Professionals: 

This CME/CMLE-accredited, case-based microlearning activity is designed to help phlebotomists and other clinical laboratory team members increase their knowledge, skills, and competence in applying best practices for adult blood culture collection in clinical laboratories. Through a series of ten 5-minute cases developed by a multidisciplinary team, you will gain a greater understanding of current guidelines to improve blood culture collection practices to maintain aseptic technique, reduce blood culture contamination rates, ensure patient safety, and contribute to timeliness and accuracy of patient diagnosis and treatment.

In order to claim 1.0 CME/CMLE credit, this course must be completed directly in the American Society for Clinical Pathology QStream platform. Only after completion of this online course, should you seek credit for this course.

This case-based learning includes the following topics: 

·       Appropriate use of aerobic and anaerobic blood culture bottles

·       Recommended blood volume for adult blood culture collection

·       Proper disinfection procedures prior to blood culture collection

·       Best practices to reduce risk of blood culture contamination

·       Blood culture contamination rate calculation and monitoring

Activity Agenda 

·       Ten case-based questions 

Target audience 

The target audience for this activity consists of laboratory professionals, including phlebotomists and members of the lab team involved in specimen collection, adult blood culture collection, and blood culture contamination rate monitoring and feedback.

Learning Objectives 

Upon completion of this activity, you will be able to  

·       Outline step-wise best practices for adult blood culture collection

·       Improve workflows to mitigate risk of blood culture contamination

·       Calculate blood culture contamination rate

·       Understand the value of tracking and providing feedback on blood culture contamination rates

Faculty 

Faculty Disclosures 

 
Sachin Gupta and Debbie Oliver have no relevant financial relationships to disclose. 
 

Accreditation Statement 

The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians.

Credit Designation Statement 

The ASCP designates this activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. 

ASCP designates this activity for a maximum of 1.0 CMLE credit.  This activity meets CMP and state re-licensure requirements for laboratory personnel. 

For questions regarding CME credit, please contact ASCP Customer Service at 1-800-267-2727, option 2, in the US & Canada or internationally at access code + 3-1-312-541-4890. Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm CT. 

Method of Participation 

To complete the activity and receive credit, the participant must complete all ten cases in the microlearning activity. CME certificates will be provided online.? 

Commercial Support 

This project was made possible by Cooperative Agreement number NU47OE000107 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the American Society for Clinical Pathology and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC.