Adequate or Inadequate? The Volume of Blood Submitted for Blood Culture at a Tertiary Children's Hospital.

The volume of blood sampled for culture critically influences the results. This study aimed to determine (1) the volume of blood submitted for culture, (2) the proportion of blood cultures with adequate volume, (3) whether measured improvement from a previous educational intervention had been sustained, and (4) the impact of blood volume on culture result. The volume of blood submitted for cultures was determined over a 13-month period by weighing bottles before and after collection and before and after an educational intervention.