Time to positivity of blood cultures among a veteran population: How long to wait before discontinuing antimicrobial therapy when suspicion of infection is low

Abstract

Time to positivity (TTP) of blood cultures can guide antimicrobial therapy. This single-center retrospective cohort study aimed to determine the yield of clinically significant organisms from blood cultures that were initially negative at 24 hours. Clinically significant organisms were uncommon after 24 hours (1.5%) and more common in intensive care unit settings.