Blood culture is defined as the microbiological culture of blood, to detect infections that are spreading through the bloodstream. The infections spreading through the blood stream include bacteremia and septicemia among others. This is possible because the bloodstream is usually a sterile environment. Negative effect of an improper blood culture includes risks of wrong venipuncture and the occurrence of false positive results. This phenomenon has been observed in over 3% of the blood culture cases and could hamper patient safety through inappropriate diagnosis and treatment. Globally, bloodstream infections (BSI) one of the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, and associated with significant healthcare costs. It has been estimated that approximately 1 million patients in the U.S. are diagnosed with BSI, costing the healthcare system nearly US$ 1 billion.
