A nurse notes that the initial preliminary report on one of three blood cultures for a patient with idiopathic fever is positive for coagulase-negative staphylococci.The nurse should relate this finding to the:
A)Need for placing the patient in isolation
B)Possibility of contamination by skin flora during the specimen collection
C)Presence of a serious resistant infection due to a resistant organism
D)Use of a chlorhexidine scrub prior to the blood culture

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Coagulase-negative staphylococci are commonly found on the skin and can contaminate blood cultures during specimen collection. Therefore, a positive blood culture for these organisms may not necessarily indicate a true infection. Further testing and evaluation should be done before determining the patient's treatment plan. Isolation, presence of a resistant infection, and use of a chlorhexidine scrub are not relevant to this finding.

A Nurse Notes That the Initial Preliminary Report on One