Usefulness of micro-organism counts in positive haemocultures
Mantz, J.M.; Faller, J.P.; Le Faou, A.; Jaeger, A.; Minck, R.
La Nouvelle Presse Medicale 10(30): 2489-2490
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0301-1518 PMID: 7022370 Document Number: 178676
In patients with positive haemoculture counting the number of micro-organisms per ml of blood can be of interest for both diagnosis and prognosis. Contamination is practically excluded when values exceed 20 organisms/ml, and bacteraemia when they exceed 500 organisms/ml. Generally, the higher the count the greater the likelihood of septicaemia. Values lower than 2 organisms/ml correspond in most cases to Gram-negative infections. Excluding the latter, which carry a high lethal risk, the mortality rate in septicaemia increases with the number of micro-organisms in the blood.