MyMedLab

Your doctor may order this test if you have symptoms of a serious blood infection. Symptoms include high fever, chills, rapid breathing and heart rate, confusion, and very low blood pressure.

The blood culture will help identify the type of bacteria causing the infection. This helps the doctor determine your best course of treatment.

Normal Results

A normal value means that no bacteria or other germs were seen in your blood sample.

Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.

What Abnormal Results Mean

An abnormal (positive) result usually means that you have an infection called sepsis. Sepsis is a severe illness in which your blood is overwhelmed by bacteria. If you have sepsis, you will be admitted to a hospital.

Other types of germs, such as a fungus or a virus, may also be found in a blood culture.

Sometimes, an abnormal result can be due to contamination. This means bacteria may be found, but it came from your skin or from the lab equipment, instead of your blood. This is called a false-positive result. It means you do not have a true infection.