CHG vs Alcohol pad with blood cultures

[IheartICUnursing]

So I was told today that at my hospital we are only to use alcohol prep pads to clean the tops of blood culture bottles. I had always used the CHG pads (thats what we use for everything basically in our ICU- that is what is stocked in the rooms) The only time that alcohol is really used on our unit is for blood sugars. Besides cost (because I know that is not the reason why they dont want us using the chg) Does anyone know why CHG pads shouldn't be used with blood culture bottles? I mean, we use CHG to scrub the site prior to sticking the patient...

I'm interested to know the rationale behind this.

Thanks!

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

I was never allowed to use alcohol preps when getting blood cultures- we used betadine preps (unless allergic to iodine).....

Chlorapreps weren't common when I was on the floor- so no help from me- I'm just amazed about the alcohol being ok- :)

[MomRN0913]

I don't know..... My daughter was born in a hospital known for it's NICU. She was born, had ot go there due to my temp, her fetal tachycardia water broken, group B step.... Blood cultures came back postive, almost tapped her... (she had a different problem that kept her there though) Doc said she didn't present septic, wanted to run CRP's first..... turned out contaminated blood cultures. She apologized big time, I said no need, I understand it could happen, i was happy enough she was smart enough not to run such test on a newbron and look at the patient and not the tests.....

Now I wonder if they used CHG..... Imagine they did and STILL got contaminated BC.

[shhhh]

Just letting you know that we use CHG wipes in our ICU's. We use them when inserting lines, on blood culture draws (AND on the blood culture bottles), and lab draws. We just don't really use them when pushing IV meds; we use alcohol wipes instead. I really don't know why you are being told to not to use them; it really is best practice.

[Sparrow23]

I just learned this. Apparently the CHG can actually go into the bottle and kill some of the potential bacterial cultures giving false results. I can't point you in the direction of any particular studies; I was just told that some studies were showing this.

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

According to this, it's because CHG is cheaper- of course that's why it's promoted

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC404630/

[xtxrn, ASN, RN]

Another link- blood culture gets wiped with alcohol.... patient gets the CHG ( I knew I remembered that the patient was not wiped with alcohol - LOL )

http://www.wakemed.org/body.cfm?id=170

[shhhh]

Another link- blood culture gets wiped with alcohol.... patient gets the CHG ( I knew I remembered that the patient was not wiped with alcohol - LOL )

http://www.wakemed.org/body.cfm?id=170

Pretty darn interesting... I'll present this to my unit's nurse educators and see if we can get a dialogue going on what is ACTUALLY best practice!

[Bandaide, ASN]

As a phlebotomist, I was taught that the culture bottles were sterile under the lids, but once the lids were removed we needed to put an alcohol wipe on them to keep them from becoming contaminated. The patient got a 60 second scrub with CHG.

[silentRN]

As a phlebotomist, I was taught that the culture bottles were sterile under the lids, but once the lids were removed we needed to put an alcohol wipe on them to keep them from becoming contaminated. The patient got a 60 second scrub with CHG.

That's what we do too.

[Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN]

I just learned this. Apparently the CHG can actually go into the bottle and kill some of the potential bacterial cultures giving false results. I can't point you in the direction of any particular studies; I was just told that some studies were showing this.

I would imagine this to be a potential result if one does not allow the tops of the bottles to dry completely before puncturing them.