Pleural Fluid Culture Using Blood Culture Bottles and Sterile Syringes in Patients With Parapneumonic Effusion

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the frequency of positive pleural fluid Culture by utilizing blood culture bottles and sterile syringes in patients with Para pneumonic effusions Material and Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study recruited 386 patients with suspected para pneumonic effusion using a non-probability sampling technique from a single-center study setting of Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) Peshawar, KPK. The total duration of the study was six months. Sample selection was done using preset criteria. The data obtained on the validated questionnaire was analyzed using SPSS version 2.0. Results: The age distribution among 386 patients was analyzed which showed 158(41%) patients ranging between 18-40 years old, and 228(59%) in the 41-70 age range. The mean age was 39 years with SD ± 10.33. Positive pleural fluid Culture was obtained from 44 percent while 56 percent were negative for any growth on pleural fluid culture. Furthermore, the 44% Positive pleural fluid Culture yielded organisms in 59% of blood culture bottles and 30% in sterile syringes. Conclusion: Analysis of the data concluded that the blood culture bottles when used for pleural fluid culture yielded organisms more effectively as compared to the sterile syringes used for the same purpose, hence it can be evident that blood culture bottles have more sensitivity for pleural fluid organisms growth as compared to sterile syringes. Key Words: Para-pneumonic effusions, Pleural fluid cultures, Blood culture bottle, Sterile syringes.