Beyond the Needle: Innovative Approaches for Reducing Blood Culture Contamination Rates in the Emergency Department

Abstract

Aim
This quality improvement project aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Kurin Lock device, which diverts the initial 0.15 mL of blood, and ChloraPrep (2% alcoholic chlorhexidine) in reducing blood culture contamination rates in emergency departments.

Methods
The study was conducted across three phases: pre-intervention, intervention, and post intervention. Before the intervention, alcohol or chlorhexidine wipes were used for skin antisepsis. The intervention phase introduced the Kurin Lock device and ChloraPrep, accompanied by staff training. Contamination rates were analyzed using the chi-square test.

Results
During the intervention phase, contamination rates significantly decreased from 18.4% (pre intervention) to 4.9% (p < 0.001). However, in the post-intervention phase, contamination rates rebounded to 18.1%.

Discussion
The study demonstrates that combining specimen diversion systems with enhanced antisepsis protocols effectively reduces blood culture contamination. However, maintaining these improvements over time remains a challenge, emphasizing the need for sustained adherence to the intervention.