Pseudobacteremia due to Pseudomonas fluorescens.

Pseudomonas fluorescens was recovered from 62 of 22,270 (0.26%) blood cultures, from 57 patients, over a 22-month period at a pediatric hospital. No illness was attributable to the blood culture isolate. A case-control study identified a significant correlation between the recovery of P. fluorescens in blood culture and concomitant coagulation studies (p less than 0.0001). In all cases blood for coagulation studies had been obtained at the same time as the blood culture. A review of venipuncture technique revealed that occasionally the coagulation study tubes (containing 3.8% sodium citrate) were being inoculated before blood culture bottles. P. fluorescens was subsequently isolated from coagulation tubes and from sodium citrate solutions prepared and dispensed in the hospital for use in coagulation studies. In vitro studies confirmed that sodium citrate solutions supported the growth of P. fluorescens, with preferential growth at 25 degrees C and 4 degrees C. This is the first description of P. fluorescens as a cause of pseudobacteremia. Pseudobacteremia was attributed to cross-contamination of blood cultures following inoculation of contaminated citrated collection tubes.