Health system faces blood culture vial shortage

Vials used for blood culture samples are in critically low supply.

Why it matters: The shortage of blood culture bottles made by Becton Dickinson (BD) could delay patients' diagnoses or lead to misdiagnoses or other challenges if not properly managed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned in a Tuesday alert.

Context: Health providers take blood cultures to diagnose patients with bloodstream infections or related conditions, like sepsis and endocarditis.

• Sepsis is a leading cause of death in hospitals, affecting at least 1.7 million people in the U.S. annually.
• About half of all laboratories in the country use a blood culture monitoring system that's only compatible with the BD bottles, the CDC said.

The shortage is the result of supply chain disruptions, and more vials should be available in September, a BD vice president told clinicians during a Tuesday call.

• In the meantime, the CDC advised health facilities to improve their blood culture collection practices to avoid unnecessary cultures that strain bottle supply.