PREVALENCE OF POSITIVE BLOOD CULTURES IN PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY ROOM

Karla Isis Avilés-Martínez^*Adolfo Gómez-QuirózEdgar Ricardo Valdivia-TangarifeRafael Santana-OrtizMauzy Karina Ramírez-ArriagaManuela Gómez-Reyes

• Hospital Civil de Guadalajara Unidad Hospitalaria Fray Antonio Alcalde, Guadalajara, Mexico

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence and characteristics of positive and contaminated pediatric emergency blood cultures, including sepsis scores and discharge outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted between January 1 and June 30, 2024. Paired blood cultures (BCs) collected in the Pediatric Emergency Room (PER) in the first half of 2024 were included. This study was approved by the local ethics and research committees. RESULTS During the study period, 12,474 pediatric patients were treated in PER and 13.5% required hospital admission. In total, 531 BCs samples were collected, with bacterial growth reported in 49 samples (25 patients), 3 of which were contaminated, corresponding to a positivity rate of 8% (46 blood cultures). Prior to PER admission, 24% of patients received broad-spectrum antibiotics and 40% were exposed to polypharmacy, including cephalosporins. Among children with septic shock and positive BCs results, the mortality rate was 50%. Notably, gram-positive bacteria, often considered nonpathogenic, are frequently isolated. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that paired blood cultures in pediatric emergencies show acceptable diagnostic yields but higher than standard contamination rates. The findings 2 highlight the relevance of clinical context, prior antibiotic exposure, and catheter use for interpretation. Strengthening collection protocols, integrating biomarkers and sepsis scores, staff training, and multicenter research are essential to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes.