Routine blood cultures from febrile outpatients. Use in detecting bacteremia

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Abstract
Of 585 febrile patients examined in the emergency room of a metropolitan hospital, 210 had blood samples cultured (37.1%). Bacteremia was present in 9 of 86 patients who were admitted to the hospital but in only 1 of 124 patients who were not admitted (P < .005). Approximately 5% of febrile adult outpatients had bacteremia, and these patients were usually admitted before the results of the culture were known. Since positive cultures were found so infrequently in patients not admitted and were of little value in guiding the treatment of these patients, the use of routine blood cultures to screen for bacteremia is apparently unnecessary for febrile adult outpatients who are not admitted to the hospital.

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