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Clinicians and laboratory workers should use blood culture media bottles judiciously during a shortage that may impact patient care, according to a new advisory from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The shortage of Becton Dickinson (BD) BACTEC blood culture media bottles could cause delays in diagnosis as well as misdiagnosis or other challenges in managing patients with infectious diseases, the CDC said Tuesday.
BD said it is working with its raw materials supplier, modifying manufacturing schedules and taking steps to ensure equitable distribution of the bottles. It hopes to see improvements in September.
The BD continuous-monitoring blood culture system is used in about half of U.S. labs. The system is only compatible with BD BACTEC blood culture media bottles.
The CDC recommends health care workers and laboratories take the following steps during the shortage:
- Reduce unnecessary blood cultures.
- Prevent blood culture contamination.
- Ensure the appropriate volume is collected for culture.
- Determine whether they have alternative options for blood cultures.
- Report shortages or interruptions to the Food and Drug Administration at [email protected].
