Improving blood culture collection and handling to find infections faster
Optimisation of the Blood Culture Pathway Utilising Behaviour Change
This project will see if changing how adult blood cultures are collected and processed at Gloucestershire Hospitals helps detect bloodstream infections more reliably.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 24 (estimated) |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Gloucester, Gloucestershire) |
| Trial ID | NCT07392684 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
The project reviews adult blood culture sets received at the Gloucestershire microbiology laboratory from February 2023 to April 2024, focusing on blood volume and time to incubation. Researchers will use retrospective laboratory data together with questionnaires and focus groups of staff who collect blood cultures (nurses, physician associates, and doctors). Information from the data analysis and staff feedback will be used to design behaviour-change interventions to optimise the blood culture pathway. No experimental treatments are given; the work aims to identify practical process improvements.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates include adults who had blood cultures taken at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital between February 2023 and April 2024 and Trust staff who collect adult blood cultures who can complete questionnaires or join focus groups.
Not a fit: Patients unlikely to benefit include paediatric cases (paediatric samples are excluded), samples with missing volume or time-to-incubation records, and people treated outside the Gloucestershire Hospitals Trust.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the changes could increase the chance of detecting bacteria in blood samples and help clinicians start the right antibiotics sooner.
How similar studies have performed: Previous quality-improvement projects have shown that increasing blood culture volume and reducing time to incubation can improve detection of bacteraemia, though using staff questionnaires and focus groups to design behaviour-change interventions is less commonly reported.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Secondary data: \- adult blood culture sets received in the microbiology laboratory, between February 2023 and April 2024. Staff member participants \- Staff members that collect adult blood cultures within the Trust Exclusion Criteria: Secondary data: * paediatric blood culture samples * samples where volume, collection and/or time to incubation data are not recorded on laboratory system and/or blood culture analyser
Where this trial is running
Gloucester, Gloucestershire
- Gloucestershire Royal Hospital — Gloucester, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom (Recruiting)
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.