Percent of Pneumonia Patients with ED Blood Cultures Prior to Initial Antibiotic
Why Is This Important?
Different types of bacteria can cause pneumonia. A blood culture is a test that can help the health care provider identify which bacteria may have caused your pneumonia, and which antibiotic should be prescribed.
About This Graph
A blood culture is not always needed, but for patients who are first seen in the hospital emergency department it is important for the accuracy of the test that blood culture be conducted before any antibiotics are started. It is also important to start antibiotics as soon as possible. This measure indicates how often UMass Memorial Medical Center does the culture before prescribing an antibiotic as compared to other Massachusetts and U.S. hospitals. Higher percentages are better. (Graph data: Jan 2011 - Dec 2011.)
What Are We Doing to Improve?
Through collaboration with our Emergency Department physicians and nurses, education on documentation of this key indicator was implemented. We have seen dramatic improvement in blood cultures being drawn prior to antibiotic and will continue to strive to meet our goal of 100 percent.