Abstract
Bacteremia is associated with increased mortality in the hospitalized patient, hence clinical decision rules have been developed to calculate the pre test probability of a bacteraemic episode; they are not used frequently in clinical practice and isolated clinical signs like fever, leukocytosis, tachycardia or increase in inflammatory markers are not useful. Blood cultures are a double-edge weapon in the approach of the septic patient, while its usefulness is straightforward, an irrational use leads to a poor antibiotic use, and to an increase in the median lenght of hospital stay and in hospitalary expenses. The decision to draw blood cultures should be individualized to each patient, assessing for bacteraemia predictors and calculating the pre-test probability of obtaining a true positive, specially in patients who are already receiving antibiotics or in whom a microbiological agent has already been documented.

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Copyright (c) 2021 Felipe Andrés Solano Rojas, María Fernanda Valverde Solano, Kevin Josué Oviedo Pérez, Alberto Quesada Pacheco, Carolina Gutiérrez Méndez