Routine Blood Cultures for Appendicitis Offer Limited Value

Bloodstream infections before appendectomy are rare and rarely impact outcomes.

Among 8,241 appendicitis patients, only 3.7% had positive blood cultures.
Most infections were expected organisms, primarily Bacteroides and E. coli.

Restricting blood cultures to unstable patients can reduce unnecessary tests and antibiotic use.

33.3% of culture-positive patients received no antibiotics post-surgery, highlighting effective surgical management.

Journal Article by Bhatti UF, Barmparas G (…) Hennessy ML et 2 al. in BMC Surg

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