Bacteremia and Blood Culture use in the ED

Hi Group

I’ve attached the Journal Club Articles for Journal Club which will be held at Dr. Holtzman’s on Tuesday, August 21st at 7:00pm
Hard copies of these articles will be in your mail boxes Monday August 20th by 12 noon. Directions to Dr. Holtzman’s house will also be communicated via E-mail and with the journal article distribution.

I think this time you will find the articles relatively light reading.
1) Increasing Blood cultures use at US Hospitals ED ( Annals)
2) Do ED Blood Cultures Change Practice in Patients with Pneumonia
3) Pneumococcal Bacteremia in febrile infants
4) Procalcitonin Test in the Diagnosis of Bacteremia
5) Are Blood Cultures necessary in Adults with Pyelonephritis

The obvious theme for this session will be “ Bacteremia and Blood Culture use in the ED”.

As you may see, our practice pattern at Shands UF clearly reflects a national trend. The purpose of this journal club will be to discuss some of the evidence with regard to blood culture use and bacteremia in the ED patient population. We will skip the JAMA article series this time and perhaps explore areas of research that may change our practice patterns in the Emergency Department

In keeping with the most recent trend, there will be no advanced notice given to residents who will be chosen to present on Tuesday.
In a reversal of the trend over the last year, I will not be working clinically and will be present at Journal club on Tuesday.

See you then.

JAT

Joseph A Tyndall, M.D., M.P.H., FACEP
Chief of Emergency Services
Shands at the University of Florida
Associate Professor and Interim Chairman
Department of Emergency Medicine
University of Florida College of Medicine