CDC warns of blood culture bottle shortage

(WTAJ) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning healthcare providers and state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments of a critical shortage that may affect patient care.

The supply of BD BACTEC blood culture media bottles is being interrupted due to supplier issues, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration . This shortage has the potential to disrupt patient care by leading to delays in diagnosis, misdiagnosis, or other challenges in the clinical management of patients with certain infectious diseases.

The CDC is asking all those who may rely on these bottles to assess their situations and develop plans and options to mitigate the potential impact of the shortage on patient care. The FDA is advising the following:

• Performing blood culture collections when medically necessary, following clinical guidelines, such as those provided below.
• Prioritizing use for patients with clinical signs and symptoms of a bloodstream infection.
• Performing routine disinfection of skin protocols prior to collection to minimize the risk of contamination of the blood culture.
• Ensuring proper blood volume collection to avoid a need to recollect additional samples.
• Utilizing safe blood collection and transfer devices to minimize the risk of damage to blood culture media bottles.

Blood cultures are critical for assisting healthcare providers with diagnosing patients with bloodstream infections and associated conditions including endocarditis, catheter-related bloodstream infections and sepsis. Blood cultures can identify the microorganisms causing these infections, and follow-on antimicrobial susceptibility testing can be performed to help guide optimal therapy.

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You can find more information on the CDC and FDA website.

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