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Agrobacterium radiobacter as a Cause of Pseudobacteremia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Anne-Marie Rogues*
Affiliation:
Service d'Hygiène Hospitalière, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
Jean Sarlangue
Affiliation:
Service de Néonatologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
Bertille de Barbeyrac
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Bactériologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
Henri-Pierre Doerman
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Bactériologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
Catherine Helmer
Affiliation:
Service d'Hygiène Hospitalière, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
Jean-Claude Labadie
Affiliation:
Service d'Hygiène Hospitalière, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
Christine Delfeau
Affiliation:
Service de Néonatologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
Boris Sandler
Affiliation:
Service de Néonatologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
Christiane Bebear
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Bactériologie, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
Jean-Pierre Gachie
Affiliation:
Service d'Hygiène Hospitalière, Hôpital Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France
*
Hôpital Pellegrin, Place Amélie Raba-Leon, CHU de Bordeaux, 33076 Bordeaux, France

Abstract

Agrobacterium radiobacter was isolated from 15 blood cultures collected from 15 newborns. Contamination of blood cultures was suspected because, in most cases, the babies' illnesses seemed incompatible with infection. A radiobacter was isolated from citrated tubes used for clotting-factor studies. Review of venipuncture technique revealed that occasionally the coagulation study tubes were being inoculated before the blood-culture bottles. This investigation demonstrated how an environmental source coupled with faulty technique caused a cluster of false-positive blood cultures.

Type
Concise Communications
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1999

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