Call to Improve Blood Culture Pathway

NHS England has called for action to improve the blood culture pathway, which is used to diagnose sepsis and other serious infections. 

 

Chief Scientific Officer for England Professor Dame Sue Hill, along with Professor Sir Steve Powis, National Medical Director, NHS England and National Clinical Director, Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Prevention and Control for NHS England, want to ensure accurate and prompt diagnosis of sepsis and severe infections - so they have adopted an infection management approach to help achieve the ambitions in the AMR National Action Plan. This will potentially save lives, decrease the need for long-term care and reduce the burden on healthcare systems.

The ' Improving the blood culture pathway' report, which was published in February 2023, found that there is significant room for improvement in the way blood cultures are collected, transported, and analysed. 

IBMS President Debra Padgett agrees with the need for action and commented on the report:

Background:

In 2017/18, a UK-wide survey of blood culture practices was undertaken by the AMR Diagnostic Board, utilising the SMI B37 standards as a reference point. The results indicated that there was considerable scope for improvement. Following the national review, NHS England published the Blood Culture Pathway Report with recommendations to improve patient outcomes and antimicrobial stewardship. 

The NHS England report found that there are a number of problems with the current blood culture pathway. For example, blood samples are often not collected in the correct way, which can lead to inaccurate results. Additionally, blood cultures are often not analysed quickly enough, which can delay the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis.

The report makes a number of recommendations to improve the blood culture pathway. These include:

• Training healthcare professionals on how to collect blood samples correctly
• Investing in new technology to speed up the analysis of blood cultures
• Developing new protocols for the management of sepsis

The report also highlights the importance of antimicrobial stewardship. Antimicrobial stewardship is the practice of using antibiotics in the most effective and efficient way possible. By ensuring that antibiotics are only used when they are needed and that they are used at the correct dose for the correct duration, we can help to reduce the development of AMR.

The NHS England report is a welcome step in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). A collective effort from all levels is essential to implement the recommendations nationwide successfully. By improving the blood culture pathway, we can help to reduce the spread of AMR and save lives. By working together, we can improve the blood culture pathway and help to combat AMR.