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Background/Aim: Blood culture is critical in the diagnosis and treatment of blood stream infections (BSIs) especially in children. BSIs are among the most common cause of morbidity/mortality and blood culture has remained the gold standard for diagnosis. We sought to compare Blood Culture Isolates

Introduction: Automated blood culture systems for incubation and growth monitoring have become the standard in high-income countries (HICs), but are still relatively expensive and not universally available for implementation in most low-and middle-income countries (LMIC). We aimed to report blood culture isolates using Automated technique in children and adults admitted into the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe from 2016 to 2020. Materials and Methods: Blood Culture Isolates in children (0 -18 years) and adults (>19 yrs) by Bactec 9050 Automated culture system from 2016-2020 were retrieved from the medical and laboratory register. Information analyzed included, age, sex, month, and year and culture growth and reported antibiotic sensitivity. A Bactec Blood culture tests is $20 in this facility. In Nigeria, the minimum monthly wage is $70 (Official currency exchange rate is N423/US Dollar). Results: Of the 1713 blood cultures performed, children 0 -18 years were 1322 (77.2%) and adult (19 years above) (22.8%). Overall positivity was 733 (42.2%) with males 385 (52.5%). Of the 1322 Blood cultures (BC) in children 615 (46.5%) were positive for isolates and adults 118 (30.2)%. Blood culture positivity decreased with increasing age with newborns 251 (34.5%) and adults > 65 years 18 (2.5%). Staphylococcus aureus constituted 61.3% of all isolates and was the leading isolates in all age groups; Alkaligenes (9.

Introduction: Antimicrobial Resistance surveillance is predicated on blood culture as a priority clinical specimen in especially resource limited settings. Establishing trends in blood stream infections and resistance patterns can inform institutional and national policy on antimicrobial stewardship, surveillance, infection prevention and control. Methodology: Blood Culture isolates in children (0 -18 years) by conventional method from 2008-2012 and Bactec Automated culture system from 2015-2020 were retrieved. Information analyzed included age, sex, month, and year and culture growth/identity of microorganisms and their sensitivity/resistance patterns. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guideline for antibiotic susceptibility testing was used. Results: 20,540 children were admitted: 8964 (44.6%) and 11,630 (55.4%) in the Manual and Bactec blood culture era respectively. Blood cultures were done in 5271 in the manual culture era and 1077 in the Bactec culture era; of these cultures, 514 (9.7%) and 461 (42.8%) were positive for isolates in the respective era (p = 0.01). There were no statistically significant differences in trend between positive and negative blood cultures in males and females. Newborns, followed by children 1 -5 years had more blood culture performed on them than other age categories. In general, there is no significant relationship in blood culture outcomes between the age categories and sex of the patients.